Forlorn Hope
by Kitai Matsuru
Summary: 13TH CH UP.B&L.When the ZBC tried to mess with the future,they never expected their own creations to turn on them.A story with twists and turns,where things aren't always as they seem. The Zoid warriors will fight to save Zi...or die trying.
1. Sometimes in Life

Disclaimer:  I don't own Zoids.

Chapter 1:  Sometimes In Life

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The desert sun flared brightly in the ash blue sky, lighting the sands of the barren desert.  It seemed that there were more and more deserts nowadays.  The sun scorched the still air, causing it to be incredibly hot.  Not many would dare to walk such a desert on a day like this.  However, fate isn't always so kind.  A young man, around the age of 17 or so, was walking through the inhospitable desert.  His aquamarine eyes were half closed and his spiked blond hair was caked with sand.  His face was covered in sweat as he walked, panting with each staggering step he took.  He couldn't remember how long he had been walking or where he was going.  It seemed like an eternity since he had first started in this direction, but time didn't matter.  He was tired and wanted nothing more than to collapse right where he stood, but he knew he wouldn't stand a chance if he didn't find a town soon, or at least some water.  'How did I get into this mess?' he asked himself.  He thought back to the beginning of his day, trying to piece his jumbled memories together.

******

Ultimate X pilot, Bit Cloud, had just finished eating breakfast, which consisted of pancakes and bacon.  He walked into the hanger of the Blitz team's base.  He wore a smile on his face as he thought about his plans for the day.  They consisted of a run with his zoid, the Liger Zero, then stealing some of Leena's snacks without her finding out.  However, he wasn't sure if he wanted to get beaten up today, so he dismissed that task.  After his run, he'd go salvage a few more part to rebuild his inventory.  The last time he was going to sell off some parts, Doctor Toros had beaten him to it, and Bit wasn't about to let that happen again.  He walked over to the Liger Zero and smiled.

"Ready to go?" asked Bit.  The Liger Zero roared his response, which was easily interpreted as a "yes".  Bit climbed up and jumped into the cockpit.  They were both out in the desert in no time, running over the sand and watching the dust fly up as they passed.

After only minutes of being out in the desert, a geyser or sand erupted right in front of them.  The Liger Zero slid to a stop, causing Bit to nearly hit his head on the consol.  The sand wall then fell down, revealing two Guysacks.  Suddenly, more sand geysers erupted and more Guysacks emerged from their hiding places.  There were about 30 all together.  They began to surround the Liger Zero.

"What a nice looking zoid," sneered one of the pilots over the com-link.

"It's much too good for you," said another one to Bit.

"Get out of the way," warned Bit.

"Yeah right.  Why don't we 'liberate' this zoid, huh boys?" asked the man that seemed to be their leader, a smirk present on his face.

"Yeah!" shouted the other men.  In the cockpit, Bit sighed.

"Things can just never be easy," he said basically to himself.  He then looked up as the scorpion like zoids charged him.  The Liger Zero evaded the first attack and jumped to the side.  Using the shot cannon mounted on its stomach, it easily took out two zoids.  The other 28 zoids launched missiles at the Liger Zero.  He knew he couldn't evade them all, but he tried.  About half the missiles missed, but the other half hit the Liger Zero.  Bit winced as the missiles rained down on him and the Liger.  Once the firing had ceased, they were back in action.  The Liger Zero prepared a Strike Laser Claw and charged forward, ripping into about eight more of the zoids, putting them out of commission easily.  He quickly stopped and slid into a turn to face down a few more enemy zoids.  Using the shot cannon, five more zoids went down.

After a few more Strike Laser Claws, the zoids were all disabled, lying in pieces across the desert floor.  Bit smiled at his work.

"Well Liger, let's head back."  The Liger Zero roared in agreement and then turned around, heading back towards the base of the Blitz team.

In no time at all, they arrived back at the base.  Bit got out of the Liger Zero's cockpit and jumped down to the metal floor of the hanger.

"Now I'll have a ton of parts to collect.  Those guys won't mind if I take some of their parts.  They won't be needing them… right away, that is," said Bit, mainly to himself.  He quickly got the jeep ready.  "I won't take too many parts though."  'Wouldn't want those pilots to attack me when I'm unarmed…but they're probably not there anymore anyway…oh well, better safe than sorry.  I won't take much.'  Bit nodded to himself and then got into the jeep, driving back off into the desert.

After a while, Bit arrived back at the place where he had destroyed the Guysacks.  The pilots didn't seem to be around anymore, so Bit got out of his jeep.  He walked over and began to pick through the leftover parts.  After a few minutes, he found some decent pieces of armor and other random parts that had been taken off from Bit's attacks.  He loaded them into the jeep and got back in, smiling the entire time.  Just then, he heard a strange whistling sound.  It was coming closer by the second.  Bit then looked up and watched as a rocket launcher sized rocket came falling towards him.

"Oh crap," he said quietly to himself.  He quickly leapt from the jeep, just as the rocket hit, causing a huge explosion.  Bit landed against the sands of the desert and was instantly covered in it from the explosion.

"Did we get him?" asked a Guysack pilot who was sitting a little ways away on a sand dune.

"I think so," said the other pilot who held a rocket launcher, a pair of binoculars glued to his face.

"Good, then let's go.  It's way too hot out here."

"Yeah, I agree."  Both men walked off, leaving the vicinity.  After they were gone, Bit emerged from the sand, coughing.

"Darn it.  That wasn't suppose to happen," he said to himself.  He looked around the vicinity and then at the flaming heap of metal that was once a jeep.  He sighed to himself.  "Doc is gonna make me pay for that.  There goes another month's salary.  I'm already in debt the way it is."  He sighed again and then began to walk in the direction he had come from, hoping against all odds that he wouldn't get turned around.

******

However, fate isn't always so kind, especially to those in trouble.  Bit did get turned around, since the strong winds would often pick up the sand, causing it to cloud his sights.  He wasn't sure where he was going now, but he knew of one thing, and one thing for sure.  He was lost.  He, Bit Cloud, had gotten lost in the desert.  He was tired, thirsty, and hot, and that was about all he could take of the day.  Nothing was going his way and he was sick of it.  He soon stopped walking and just stood there, staring at the sky and the bright sun.  He fell to his knees, exhausted and soon fell the rest of the way.  He closed his eyes.

"I need some rest," he said.  And with that, he fell asleep, exhausted and completely dehydrated, not to mention scraped.  His hands were burned slightly and he had some scratches on his head and legs from flying debris from the explosion of his jeep.  He would only be asleep for a few minutes…just a few, short minutes…

******

Bit's eyes slowly opened.  Before his eyes focused, he realized something about his surroundings.  It was dark.  He wasn't out in the desert anymore, because it was also quite cool where he was.  It was dimly lit, but to him, it was dark.  His eyes eventually focused and brought in the full image of where he was.  It looked like the inside of a hanger, only not quite as big as the one he was used to.  He noticed there was lighting in the room, but as he already observed, it was very dim; several of the fluorescent tubes were fizzling or cracked.  He slowly sat up, relieved that he didn't feel nauseous after doing so.  He looked around a little more and found out that he was lying on a couch instead of on a bed.  He touched his forehead and noticed that there was a bandage neatly wrapped around it, along with some on his hands.  There were also bandages on all of his cuts.  It was a good thing he was hit mostly by sand, or he might not have gotten off so easily.  Bit looked around, trying to find out exactly where he was.

"Hey."

Bit turned his head to look at the source of the voice.  His eyes landed on a young man.  The boy looked about his age, with jet-black hair that hung to his ears and midnight blue eyes.  He wore a pair of brown pants and black boots.  His shirt was short sleeved and dark blue.  Over it, he wore a long, white coat, almost like a trench coat, but not quite as long, thick, or heavy.  It seemed more like a lab coat.  He kept it unbuttoned and untied.  The last thing was a red headband, covered partially by his bangs.  He smiled at Bit and held out his hand, which contained a water bottle.

"Here," he said, tossing Bit the bottle.  "I thought you might be a little thirsty."  Bit easily caught the bottle and just stared at it for a second, finally realizing how thirsty he was.  He quickly undid the cap and gulped it down.  Before he knew it, the bottle was completely empty.  Bit sighed out of satisfaction.  It felt good to finally have some water.  He then turned his attention back to the man.

"Thanks," he said, putting the cap back on the bottle.

"No problem.  I'm happy to help."

"Exactly where am I?" asked Bit.  It had been bugging him since he woke up.

"This is my base.  I know it's not much, but it's home to me.  Oh yeah, sorry.  My name's Tori.  You're Bit Cloud, right?"

"Yeah."

"I thought so.  You're the pilot of the Liger Zero.  What were you doing in the middle of the desert?"  Bit just shrugged.

"I was attacked.  I was heading back to the base, but I got turned around."

"Oh, I get it.  You must have been exhausted.  No wonder you were so thirsty.  Walking in the desert like that without any water is like suicide, especially in this heat."

"I'll remember that the next time my jeep explodes," Bit responded sarcastically.  Tori just ignored it.

"It's a good thing I found you out there.  Not many people will drive this far out into the desert."

"Yeah, I really owe you one."  Bit sighed.  He'd probably want money, and he was already up to his ears in dept with Doc, not to mention that now he had a jeep to pay for too.

"Think nothing of it.  I'm guessing that you'd like to get back to your base, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, then you can use that," he said, pointing towards a jeep nearly identical to the one Bit had been driving before.

"How will I get it back to you?" asked Bit.

"Oh, don't worry about that.  You can have it."

"I can…have it?  But it's yours," exclaimed Bit, curious as to why he would just give away a jeep.

"It's alright.  I can get another one.  And besides, it'll give me an excuse to use my Lighting Saix."

"Lightning Saix?"  Bit looked around the hanger and found a black zoid in the far right corner of the room.  It looked fairly new and practically unused.

"Yep.  I've had it for a while now, but I never really get the chance to use it."

"Don't you ever battle?"

"No.  I don't mind though.  I don't think I'd like to be in an actual zoid battle.  I've never really used my Saix for that."

"What do you use it for?"

"Uh…well…other stuff…"

"Like what?"

"Like…"  Tori looked around desperately, as if trying to find a way out of answering.  He then seemed to remember something.  "Oh, I just forgot.  I need to go into town today.  Hey, how about this?  I'll drive us into town.  From there, you can have the car.  I'll get another one.  Sounds good?"

"Well, I guess…"  Bit was slightly put off by not getting an answer for his previous question.

"Great!  Let's go."  Tori turned around and began to walk towards his jeep.  Bit stood up from the couch, feeling a little dizzy, and followed him.  His head was fine, but his legs definitely weren't.  They both got in, and in no time, they were off.

******

At the base of the Blitz team, everyone was wondering where Bit had gone.  It had been over two hours now since he had left with the jeep.

"Where's Bit?!" asked Leena angrily.  "He should have been back by now!"

"He'll be back eventually," said Brad, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Why do you care anyway, Leena?" asked Jamie while folding the newest batch of laundry.  Leena just glared at him and left the room, scowling.  Jamie and Brad watched her as she left and once they were sure she was gone, they went back to their own business.  "What was that all about?" asked Jamie.

"Who knows," said Brad, relaxing even more in his chair.

Meanwhile, Leena was walking around aimlessly, hoping to find something to do.  She suddenly sighed in frustration.

"It's no fun around here without Bit," she said.  "That idiot is never around when I need him.  I'm so bored!"  Leena found her way into the hanger and began to walk across it, hoping for some inspiration.  She stopped walking when she reached the Liger Zero.  That's when she noticed the scratches that literally covered the white armor, not to mention the singe marks around the shot cannon from gunfire.

"I wonder what happened," she said quietly.  "We haven't had a battle recently, so how did the Liger get so beaten up?"  She thought it over and decided to ask Bit about it later.  A few thoughts came to her mind, but she quickly dismissed them.  There was no need to add worry to the many different feelings she was dealing with.  'You better be alright, Cloud, or I'll kill you.'  And with that, she walked out of the hanger, continuing her search for something to do.


	2. We Meet People

Disclaimer:  I don't own Zoids.

Chapter 2:  We Meet People

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"Well, this is as far as we'll go," said Tori, getting out of the jeep.

"You sure you don't need this?" asked Bit, still sitting in the drivers seat.

"I already told you that you could have it.  I'll just buy a new one."

"Well, alright."  Tori smiled and began to walk off.  "Bye," said Bit.  Tori turned and waved.

"Bye," he responded.  Bit then turned around to face the steering wheel.  He started the jeep up again and soon drove off, leaving the city.  It was getting late and would soon be dinnertime.  Bit knew he had to make it home before then.

"What a day," he said to himself as he drove through the desert.  He replayed the events in his head, marking this day one of his strangest for a long while.  It had been a year since the defeat of the Backdraft group.  Everyone was relaxing now on the planet Zi.  Zoid battles had returned to normal and there were no longer unsanctioned battles.  Everything was just normal.  Not boring, but normal.  Once he was sure the car was balanced, Bit began to remove his bandages while keeping his eyes on the road and driving with his knees.  He undid the ones on his hands and then the one on his forehead.  He discarded them on the desert sand.  "No need to get caught with these.  The team'll throw a fit and ask me a ton of questions."  He grimaced at the thought.  He quickly shrugged it off and kept driving.

******

It was nearing 1800 hours at the Blitz team's base.  Everyone was wondering where Bit was.  They were all starting to assume the worst about their teammate.  All of them were waiting in the hanger.

"It's almost time for dinner," said Jamie.  "Where's Bit?"

"Who knows?" said Leena, seeming uninterested.  'You better get back soon,' thought Leena.  Just then, the sound of a car could be heard.  They looked out into the desert and saw a jeep coming towards them.  It soon drove into the hanger and parked near the Liger Zero.  Bit opened the door and got out, sighing afterwards.

"What a pain," he said to himself.

"Bit!" yelled Leena.  Bit turned to look at her as she ran up to him.  "Where were you?" she asked, her anger covering the fact that she was happy to see him.

"I was just driving in the desert, looking for parts.  Why?"

"Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Uh…it's late?"

"It's almost time for dinner."

"Oh no!" exclaimed Jamie.  They both turned to look at the frantic boy.  "I left the food on the stove!  It's gonna burn!"  He turned around and ran out of the room, heading towards the kitchen.  Both Bit and Leena sighed and then began to follow.  Bit was happy that the conversation hadn't elevated.  He didn't want anyone to know what really happened, because they'd make a fuss over it.  Not to mention they'd find out that the car had been destroyed and that this one wasn't really theirs.  He was just trying to avoid a complicated matter.  They both arrived in the kitchen just as Jamie put out the food.  He managed to save it from burning and now it was time to eat.  Bit smiled at all the good-looking food.  He hadn't even eaten today and this was exactly what he needed to feel better from his exhausting experience.

******

The sun was setting, painting the desert sky a beautiful blend of reds, oranges, yellows, and purples.  The desert was just as vast as ever and just as empty, except for a weary traveler.  Walking through the desert was a young girl.  Her arms were wrapped about her small waist.  Her body was covered in scrapes and scratches, some worse than others.  She was dressed oddly for someone who would be wandering the desert.  She had on an orange halter-top, which was actually more like a shirt and a dress combined.  A golden sash was wrapped around her waist, separating the skirt from the top.  There was a golden chocker around her neck, connected to the halter-top.  There were sleeves connected as well, but they left her shoulders bare.  They were a metallic blue color.  There was a golden band on each of her elbows.  Under the skirt was a pair of Capri pants.  They were a metallic green with a gold band on each knee.  Her boots were high heeled and a dark pink.  Around her head was a bronze circlet with a mauve colored stone in the middle and two connected to two red ribbons that flowed down the sides.  Her hair was silver and hung to her shoulders in messy locks.  Her bangs were all different sized and a longer piece hung down to her nose.  Her eyes were a metallic purple, but they seemed quite weary right now.  She was limping from what looked like a twisted ankle.  Around her neck hung two dog tags, each imprinted with something too small to read from a distance.  She was panting from exhaustion and eventually stopped walking.  She closed here eyes and collapsed onto the sandy ground.

******

The members of the Blitz team were in the hanger, working on their zoids.  The Liger Zero was kind of beaten up from Bit's earlier encounter.  Nobody bothered to ask about it though.  Suddenly, the Liger Zero shook his head and roared.  He nearly knocked Bit off of his platform.

"Liger?  What's the deal?" asked Bit, slightly annoyed.  The Liger Zero just roared again.  Bit listened intently to what the Liger had to say.

"Hey Bit," said Brad.  Bit turned his attention to Brad, who was standing with Jamie and Leena on the ground.

"What's wrong with the Liger?" asked Jamie.

"I'm not exactly sure.  He says that there's someone out in the desert not far from here."

"Reall?  Who?" asked Leena.  Bit just shrugged.

"You got me.  He says we should go and get them."  Bit jumped down from the platform.

"Are you going to?" asked Jamie.  Bit just shrugged.

"I don't know.  It seems kind of strange to me."  The Liger Zero gave an annoyed roar to his pilot.  "Alright, alright, I'll go, just stop nagging me."  Bit began to walk towards the jeep.

"I'll go with you," offered Leena.  She walked over to the jeep as well and got in.  Bit started the car and they were off, heading into the desert.  They drove silently for a while.  "So, where is this person?" asked Leena.

"I don't know.  Liger said they weren't far from here.  I wonder how he knows."

"Same here."  They drove for a little while longer until a figure could be seen up ahead.  "Stop the car," said Leena.  Bit did so and they both got out and walked over to the figure.  It was a silver haired girl.  She was unconscious and full of scrapes and cuts.

"We should take her back to the base," said Bit.

"Yeah," agreed Leena.  They both helped pick her up and set her in the back seat of the jeep.  After getting back in, they were off, heading back to the base.

******

Her violet eyes slowly opened and focused.  Her surroundings were new and highly unfamiliar, but she didn't mind.  She was just happy to be alive, or perhaps she was just confused.  She just lied there, not sure what she should do.  She seemed to be lying on a bed in a nicely lit room.  It looked like a medical room.  She lifted her hands slowly and brought them towards her face.  She noticed that they had been bandaged.  She touched her face and noticed a few more bandages.  'What's going on?' she thought to herself.  'Where am I?  What am I doing here?  What happened?  I can't remember.'  She tried to think back to how she had gotten to the desert, but she was coming up with a blank.  'Why?  Why can't I remember?'  The door to the room then opened and five people walked in.  She watched them as they walked over to her bed.

"It's good to see you're awake," said Doc.  The girl didn't say anything, she just stared at them.

"What were you doing in the desert?" asked Leena.

"And how did you get those cuts?" asked Bit.  She still said nothing.  Her eyes glanced around at all of them.

"What's wrong?" asked Jamie, wondering why she wasn't speaking.  'What should I say?' she thought to herself.  She tried to open her mouth to talk, but nothing came out.  She seemed shocked.  'I…I can't speak.  Why?  Did I…forget how?  I just need to focus.  I have to say something.'

"Well, aren't you going to answer?" asked Brad.  The girl closed her eyes and sat up.  She looked at all of them, a look of sorrow on her face.

"Gomen," she said.  Sorry

"Gomen?" asked Leena.

"Hai, gomen."  Yes, sorry  They all just stared at each other and then at her.  'Did I say something wrong?'

"What's 'Gomen'?" asked Bit.  The girl stared at all of them strangely.  'They don't…understand me?  I don't understand…I didn't used to…speak this way.  Why can't I remember the words that they use?  Why can't I form the sounds…what's wrong with me?'  She closed her eyes and grabbed her head.

"Itai," she whispered.  It hurts The pain was too much for her.

"Is something wrong?" asked Jamie.  She looked up at all of them and nodded.  She didn't bother saying anything.  She wouldn't be able to speak to them anyway.  After a while, her headache ended and she once again focused on all of them.

"Let's start with an easier question," said Doc.  "What's your name?"  'My…name?'  She thought about it.  'What was it?  What am I called?'  Leena then approached her and sat down next to her.  She noticed the dog tags before, but didn't get a chance to look at them.  She lifted one up and read off the only word imprinted on it.

"Hikari," she said.  The girl stared at Leena, wide eyed.  'Hikari?  That word…my name.'  The girl nodded.  "So your name is Hikari?"  She nodded.

"Hai.  Hikari desu."  Yes, I am Hikari  They all stared at her, confused.

"This may take a while," said Jamie.  "She doesn't seem to speak our language."  'I do!  I just don't remember how!' screamed Hikari.  How she wished she could speak to them so that they'd understand her.  She sighed out of frustration.  He was right.  This would take a while.

"Hikari?" questioned Doc.  She turned her attention the Blitz team leader.  "Do you understand us?"  Hikari nodded once, still looking at him.  They all seemed relieved.

"Maybe this wont be so hard," said Bit.  Hikari smiled slightly.  Her stomach then made a rumbling noise, which she was sure they had all heard.  She blushed, slightly embarrassed.  They all laughed.

"I guess you're hungry," said Leena.  Hikari only nodded shyly.

"I'll go make some soup," said Jamie.  He then left the room and headed towards the kitchen.

"You rest here, Hikari.  We'll sort this all out later," said Doc as he and Brad both left the room.  Leena then stood up and walked over to the door, followed by Bit.

"We'll come get you when the soups done," said Leena.  Hikari nodded and then lied down.  Leena and Bit left the room.

"What a strange girl," said Bit.  "I wonder where's she's from."

"Same here.  That outfit she's wearing is unlike anything I've ever seen.  I wonder why she's wearing so many gold bands.  And those dog tags sure are strange.  Not many people wear them."

"I know.  We'll have to ask her later.  Maybe we'll be able to find a way to talk with her."

"I hope so.  I wonder what happened to her."

"Well, there's no use wondering about it.  We'll find out eventually."

"You're right," sighed Leena.  "Let's go back to the hanger.  You didn't finish working on the Liger."

"Yeah," said Bit in a dazed tone.  'I wonder how Liger knew she was out there.  I'll have to ask him later.'  And with that, they walked off to the hanger to work on their zoids.

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Um…okay, I translated for Hikari with these things.  I promise stuff'll pick up eventually.


	3. That We Never Thought We’d Meet

Disclaimer:  I don't own Zoids.

Chapter 3: That we never thought we'd meet

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Everyone was in the kitchen now.  Jamie was still working on the soup he was cooking while Brad sat at the table, drinking his coffee.  Doctor Toros was rummaging though the cupboards for something to eat.  Bit and Leena were putting together a few snacks as well.  They all stopped what they were doing, however, when they heard footsteps coming down the hallway.  They all turned to face the open doorway and watched as Hikari walked in.  She seemed a little nervous.  Her head was down and she was absent mindedly running her fingers over the dog tags around her neck.

"Hikari?" asked Doctor Toros.

"What is it?" asked Leena.  Hikari slowly raised her head and looked at all of them.

"A-ano…" she started. Um…

"Yes?" asked Bit, waiting for an answer.  Hikari just stared at the floor.  'What can I say?  It's not like they'd understand me.  I don't even know their names.'  It was silent for a while, none of them knowing what to say.  Leena was studying the Hikari's face.  She then looked thoughtful.

"Oh, I understand," said Leena.  They all looked at her, confused.  "Sorry, how rude, you don't even know our names."  Hikari smiled at that statement.  'Maybe this isn't so hard after all,' she thought.

"I'm Leena.  That's Bit, Brad, Jamie, and that's my dad."  She pointed to each one after saying their names.

"I'm Steve Toros, the leader of the Blitz team."  Hikari bowed slightly to them.

"You have great timing, Hikari," said Jamie.  "The soup is ready."  Hikari's smile widened.  She was starving.  She sat down at the table in the kitchen and watched as Jamie walked over and set the bowl down in front of her.  She looked at all of them.

"Arigatou," she responded.  Thank you

"Ari…gatou?" questioned Bit, saying the strange word slowly.

"Hai, arigatou." Yes, thank you

"We have to find someway to understand her," said Brad.  "But, I do think that arigatou means 'Thank you'."

"Hai," responded Hikari.  yes

"And 'hai' must mean 'yes'?" questioned Leena.  Hikari nodded cheerfully.  'Finally!  They're starting to understand.  She put a spoon full of the soup into her mouth and smiled widely.

"Sugoi!" Amazing  She kept eating, the smile remaining on her face.  She really had been hungry and the soup was delicious.  After she finished, she bowed and left the room.  After such a great meal, she needed some rest.  She was still exhausted.  'Just how long have I been wandering anyway?' she asked herself, unfortunately, she didn't know the answer.  She just sighed and headed back into the room she was staying in.

******

It was late now.  The double moons of Zi were sitting high in the sky, the stars surrounding them.  It was truly a beautiful sight against the black or the night sky.  Bit was sitting on the head of the Liger Zero, staring out at the sky through the open hanger.  It was amazing.  The desert looked beautiful at night.

"Hey Bit," called a familiar female voice.  Bit was snapped out of his small daze and looked downward towards Leena.

"What?" he asked.

"What happened today?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know very well what I mean."  Bit cringed, happy that she was far down on the ground.  He didn't need her to see his reaction.  "Where were you and what took you so long?"

"Nothing.  I just…"  'Come on, Bit!  You have to think up a good excuse!'  "I just…"

"Wait, don't tell me," said Leena with humor in her voice.  "You got lost!"  Bit sighed.  The conclusion made him sound like an idiot, but it was better than the truth.

"How'd you know?" asked Bit, seeming shocked.  He was good at playing along.

"Because it's happened before."  Well, she was right.  He had gotten lost before, so it was a reasonable explanation.

"Well, you got me," he concluded, turning back to the desert.  However, Leena didn't leave.  Bit stole a glance down at her and then sighed.  He stood up and then jumped down, landing next to her.  "What is it?" he asked, slightly annoyed, but seeming tired.

"I was thinking about Hikari."

"What about her?"

"Those dog tags.  One of them had her name on it, but the other had a serial number on it."

"A serial number?"

"Yeah.  I was just wondering why, but I can't ask her."

"If we knew what language she was speaking, we could find out easily, but I don't even have the slightest clue."

"You got that right," said Leena, slightly mumbling it.

"Yeah…hey!"  Leena laughed to herself and then stared at the night sky.

"I really want to help her, but I'm not sure how.  I wonder what she was doing in the desert anyway."

"Yeah.  She was really beaten up."

"Well, we'll find out eventually.  Maybe we'll find a translator somewhere," said Leena, hopefully.  It was kind of hard to find a translator when you didn't know what language you needed to have translated.

"Let's think about this tomorrow," said Bit, giving a yawn.  "It's late."

"I guess."  Bit turned around and walked out of the hanger, heading towards his room.  Leena stayed there for a while before retreating.  The sky was very beautiful at night and the desert looked amazing as well.  'How beautiful.'

******

"Hikari…" whispered a voice.  Everything was dark.  There was nothing else to describe it but dark.  Perhaps the word empty would work as well, or maybe desolate, but dark just seemed to sum it all up.  "Welcome to your new home."  Suddenly, the darkness parted by a bright, strait line down the middle.  It was as if the darkness was just a pair of doors, which were now parting in the middle to reveal the most breathtaking scene Hikari had ever seen.  It was a garden, beautiful and sweet in fragrances.  It was full of beautiful flowers and greenery.  There were bushes and trees as well, along with some birds, fluttering around the trees.  However, this was nothing more than a room in a building.  It was still breathtaking, though.  Unfortunately, Hikari wasn't standing in the room, but outside of it, looking in through a window high above.  "Do you like this place?" asked the same voice from before.  Standing next to her was a man with black hair and dark brown eyes.  He turned to look at Hikari, giving her a smile.  He seemed to be a father like figure to the young girl next to him.  Hikari was much younger than her former self.  Her silver hair fell to her mid back and her shining, violet eyes didn't miss a thing.  She had a child like smile on her face.  She looked up at the man and nodded.

"It's beautiful," she responded.

"It sure is," he said.  The scene then faded, leaving nothing but Hikari.  It was empty again.

"Sir, where are you?" she called out.  But the man didn't return.  She was alone.  "Someone…find me."

"Hi Hikari," said a voice.  It sounded like that of a young boy, perhaps her age.  She turned around to see a boy with black hair and dark blue eyes that were smiling.

"Hi," she responded shyly.

"My dad told me about you.  You're new here.  Come on, I'll show you around."  He turned to the side, still keeping his eyes on her.  He extended his hand slightly, motioning for her to take hold.

"Okay," she said, a smile forming on her face.  She took the boys hand and walked off with him.

"Oh yeah, my name's…"  But he never got to finish, because he faded from the scene.  Hikari was once again along.

"Won't anybody find me?" she asked.  Suddenly, the black became red and she was in a lab room, filled with fire.  There were scientists everywhere, but they were all lying on the ground, unmoving.  The fire was engulfing everything and the burning was more than Hikari could take.

"Tasukete!  Onegai!" she yelled.  Help, please!  She covered her mouth.  'Those words…why can't I speak the same way anymore?' she thought to herself.  She glanced around, slightly panicked.  Then she saw them.  Bit and Leena were standing in the room, staring at her.  Her face brightened.  "Bit, Leena!  Onegai!  Tasukete!"  They both just gave her confused glances.

"What did you say?" asked Bit.

"We don't understand," added Leena.  Hikari's hope faded.

"Doushite?"  Why?  'I want them to understand me.  I want to speak with them.  Why can't I?  WHY?'  Bit and Leena turned away from her and began to walk away, leaving her in the fiery room.

"Iya!  Matte!"  No!  Wait!  But they were already gone.  'No…I don't want them to leave.  I don't want to be…'  "…Hitori." alone.

******

Hikari shot up in her bed.  She was breathing hard and her face was covered in a cold sweat.  She soon relaxed and lied back down.  "Ato yume dake."  Just a dream.  She lied back down and fell asleep, nothing else came to her in the night.  She had a dreamless sleep, along with everyone else in the base.

******

"Sir," said a man.  He wore a pair of black pants and a black shirt.  He stood strait, standing behind another man.  "We found the lab."

"Excellent," replied the other man.  He had silver hair, tinted blue.  His outfit consisted of a pair of black pants and boots, accompanied by a navy blue shirt and black trench coat.  He turned around to face the man behind him.  His eyes were covered by a pair of black sunglasses.  The man behind him seemed slightly nervous.  "I want you to take your group and attack the lab."

"What?" the man asked in disbelief.

"You heard me.  I want those parts and that lab has them.  Now, you will do this for me, right?"

"Y-yes, sir."

"Now, now.  There's no need to be so formal.  Just call me Kageru Tsubaki."

"Yes, sir Tsubaki."  Kageru just sighed.  'These men will never learn.'  He glanced up at the dark sky above him.  'Where are you, my counterpart?  I will soon need you, and I will get you by any means possible.  You have my word.'  He turned around and began to walk away, heading towards his zoid, stationed a few yards away.

"Uh, sir, wait."

"Not now.  I'm tired.  We'll do this tomorrow."  'No matter what, I'll find you.  I promise.'  He smirked to himself.  He would have his way, no matter what he had to do to get there.  "No matter what," he said, as he climbed up his pitch-black zoid and got in.  He was soon running through the desert, not really having a destination, but at the same time, not really caring.

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That's all for now^.^


	4. Sometimes in Dreams

Disclaimer:  I don't own Zoids.

Chapter 4:  Sometimes in Dreams

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It was now morning and the sun was shining brightly in the blue sky.  Today would be a nice day, since there was a slight breeze.  It would be a perfect day for a zoid battle, but the Blitz team didn't know that, yet, anyway.  Doc had yet to tell them of the recent news that seemed to slip his mind.  Right now, everyone was sitting in the kitchen, waiting for breakfast to be served.  Jamie was cooking, as usual.  The only other person who was absent was the silver haired Hikari.  Just then, she appeared in the doorway, yawned, and then walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Hikari," said Doc in a cheerful manner.

"Ohayo, minna-san."  Good morning, everyone  Hikari walked over to the table and sat down next to Leena.  She sighed and then decided to cast her eyes to the table.  Her dream played over in her head as she desperately tried to find out what it meant.  The people around her seemed slightly worried at her distraught look.

"Is something wrong?" asked Jamie, setting the pancakes down on the table.  Hikari's head shot up and she glanced around the room.  They were all looking at her.  She shook her head.

"Nandemo."  It's nothing  They just shrugged and began to eat.  'At least…I hope it's nothing.'

******

After breakfast, the team decided to work on their zoids.  Bit was the one who had the most work to do.  The Liger Zero was still damaged from his encounter yesterday.

"Oh man," said Bit, realizing how much work he had to do.  "I guess I better get started."  Just then, Doc Toros walked into the hanger, a smile on his face.

"Good news, team," he said.  All four warriors turned to face him.  Those were the three words that were feared the most among the Blitz team.  The words "good news team" meant one of two things.  One was "we're going to take a vacation", which followed those three words maybe once in a blue moon.  The other was "we have a battle today".  That's the one it would probably be.

"What is it, Doc?" asked Brad.

"We have a battle today," he said happily.  The whole team sighed.  It's not that a battle was a bad thing, but they had just had one the other day.  "It'll take place in three hours, so get ready."  And with that, he turned around and walked away, leaving the team to prepare their zoids.

"What?!  Just three hours?" screamed Bit.  The repairs to the Liger would take at least four.  There was no way he could finish.

"What's the big deal Bit?  It's not like the Liger Zero needs that many repairs," stated Leena.  That's when it hit her.  The Liger Zero really was damaged this time.  'How could I have forgotten?'  She mentally scolded herself for letting such a thing slide.  "Hey Bit.  What happened to the Liger?"  Bit froze.  He knew that this would come up sooner or later, but he hadn't finished coming up with an excuse.  "It looks like you were in a battle."

"Uh…"

"Come on, Bit.  I want the truth."  Leena was standing with her hands on her hips and a stern look on her face.  Bit knew there was no way out of it.  There was no excuse for something like this, and she would chase him down if he tried to avoid it, and then beat the answer out of him.  He shuttered at the thought.  He sighed, realizing he would have to tell the truth.

"Alright," he said.  "I got into a fight with some zoids yesterday and they partially damaged the Liger Zero.  That's all.  Happy now?"

"You should be more careful.  Now you have to repair the Liger before we leave.  Good luck," she responded with humor in her voice.  She turned around and walked over to her Gun Sniper.  Bit just sighed and turned back to the Liger Zero.

"Looks like I have some work to do."

******

"Good morning, Tori."

"Good morning," responded the cheerful blue-eyed teen.  He was walking down the hallway on the seventh floor of an extremely tall building.  It was much like an office building, but not quite as professional looking.  "Have you seen my dad?"

"Yeah, I just passed him.  He was heading down the hall that way."  The man pointed towards the area.

"Okay, thanks."  Tori ran passed him and ran down the hall, sliding around the corner.  He saw the retreating figure that was his father.  "Dad!" he shouted.  The man stopped and turned around to face his son.  He had the same eyes and hair, but he seemed more professional than his incredibly laidback son.

"Why hello, Tori.  To what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked sarcastically.

"Knock it off, dad.  You know why I'm here."

"Not really."

"I want to know why you closed down the lab in Romeo City.  We were making such progress."

"We didn't completely close it down.  We just moved a lot of it here."

"But…but you…"

"I know what we did, and I know why you're upset.  The lab was attacked, Tori.  That's why.  That's why we had to do it."

"When did this happen?"

"About three weeks ago."

"But…what about…"

"Project Mirai?"

"Yeah.  And experiments…"

"Yami and Akari?"  Tori simply nodded.  His father sighed in slight frustration.  "If you would call every once in a while, maybe you'd know about this."

"I'm sorry, alright?  It hasn't been that long, right?" said Tori, sounded uninterested.  He hated conversations like this, because he always ended up in trouble.

"Not that long?  Ha.  Try two years."

"Oh…"  Tori looked thoughtful, as if he was contemplating something.  "Really?  It's been that long?"

"Sure has."

"Uh, well, that's in the past.  Now, let's talk about the present.  What happened to experiments Yami and Akari?"

"About a year ago, Yami left.  We lost contact soon after.  As for Akari, when the lab exploded…"

"You sent experiment Akari away, didn't you," he said more in a statement than a question.  He already knew the answer anyway.

"I'm afraid so.  It's been three weeks now and we're not sure what happened or where the location is, but we're working on it."

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you.  How about I help to rebuild the lab?"

"We won't be rebuilding it.  We're just going to use the underground one here."

"Alright…" responded Tori, slightly dragging the word.  The underground lab wasn't exactly all that big.  It'd be hard to perform any experiments there.

"Come on, Tori.  How about you stick around for lunch today?"

"Sure, as long as you're buying."  They both began to walk down the hall and towards the seventh floor lounge.  It was set up a lot like a cafeteria.  There was a big screen on the farthest wall.  Zoid battles were often broadcasted on it, and one was currently on.  One of the teams was none other than the Blitz team.  Tori smiled.

"Well, it looks like Bit made it back okay.  He sure seemed curious as to why I gave him my jeep."  Tori's dad stiffened, his eye twitching.  Even though his back was to Tori, the boy could tell that his father was not very happy to hear that.

"Tori," he stated coldly.

"Uh, that reminds me.  I came here to borrow some money…" said Tori nervously.

"That jeep was brand new."

"I won't need much…" he continued, even though his dad was talking to him.

"I just sent it to you last week."

"And I already have one picked out…"

"I'm not buying you another one."

"So maybe if you could…what?  You won't buy me a new one?!" he said in shock.

"No!"

"Then how am I supposed to get home?"

"You have two legs, you're young, so walk."  Tori froze, his eyes fixed on his dad.  'He wants ME to walk?  Walk?  I'll never make it!'  Tori shook his head, dismissing the horrid thought.

"Come on dad!  I can't walk that far!  It'll take hours, maybe days!"

"Then I suggest you start walking."  Tori just sighed, realizing that his dad wasn't going to buy him a jeep.  'Life is never fair…'

******

"I can't believe I actually did it," stated Bit with amazement.  He had managed to fix the Liger Zero within three hours.  "I'm a genius!"  This statement got him a few snickers from his teammates.  "If you got something to say, then say it!"  In the Hover Cargo, Jamie was also laughing.  Next to him was Hikari, who had wanted to watch the zoid battle.  Zoids were things she had often heard of, and she was hoping that by watching a battle that she might remember something.  Her memory was nothing but a bunch of jumbled images and thoughts.  She couldn't remember much of anything.  Certain words would trigger random thoughts, but that was about all.  It was even more frustrating for her, since she couldn't even speak to these people.  There was no way for them to help her.  She did, however, feel safe around these people.  They were nice enough.  Give or take a few quirks, they were good people overall.  And that's all that truly mattered.  Hikari watched as the judge fell from the sky, hitting the ground hard.  The dust from the sand soon cleared and the capsule rose and opened, revealing the judge.

"The area within a 20 mile radius is a designated Zoid battle field.  This zone is now restricted. Only competitors and personnel have authorized entry.  Danger.  All others must leave the area at once.  Area scanned, battlefield set up.  The Blitz team vs. the Hero team.  Battle mode 0982.  Ready!  Fight!" said the judge.

******

"So, they're up against the Hero team?  Interesting," said Tori as he stuffed his face with food, mainly a sub sandwich.  His father sat across from him, sipping on a cup of coffee.

"Yes.  This will be an interesting battle."

"That's the team headed by Tai Kenjitsu, right?" asked Tori, as he bit into his sandwich.

"Yeah, along with his teammates, Ayame Ryuusei and Toru Yuuretsu.  Not to mention their strategist."

"You mean Kyouri Raiden?"

"Yes.  She's a brilliant strategist.  It will be interesting to see who wins this round."

"Bit's team will win, hands down, I'm sure of it," responded Tori, still stuffing his face.

"Then why don't we make a bet?"

"A bet?  Come on, dad, gambling is illegal."

"If I win, you have to promise to call every once in a while, not to mention buy me lunch next time."

"And if I win?"

"I'll buy you a new jeep."

"Cool!  You're on!  The Blitz team will definitely win!" shouted Tori as he thrust his arm in the air for emphasis.

******

Hikari watched as the battle started.  'Something isn't right,' she thought to herself.  She looked around the battlefield and found what she was looking for.  Sitting on a sand dune a few miles away was a group of zoids, which suddenly became invisible.  'Stealth devices…they're going to attack the teams.  I have to do something.'

"Jaime," said Hikari, causing the boy to turn around.

"What?"

"Ano…"  Um  'How do I do this so that he'll understand me?'  Hikari pointed to the sand dune where the zoids had been.  "Asoko!"  Over there!  Jamie followed her view, but saw nothing.

"There's nothing there Hikari.  You must be seeing things."

"Demo…"  But…  'I have to make him see it!'  Hikari did the only thing she could do.  She moved Jamie out of the way and began to type on the control panel.

"Hikari!  What are you doing?"  After typing in a few more things, a new screen appeared.

"Hora!"  Look!  She pointed to the screen, which showed a group of zoids using stealth shields.  However, the stealth shields couldn't hide their heat signatures.

"Oh man, this can't be good."

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That's all for now^.^ 

Please review!


	5. We See Things

Chapter 5:  We See Things

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Jaime frantically pushed a few buttons on the console and brought up a communication link with the judge.

"Judge, I'm requesting an immediate cancellation of the battle!" said Jamie.  On the battlefield, both teams were confused.

"What?  Jamie, what are you doing?!" shouted Bit.

"Yeah, Jamie, what gives?" asked Leena.  Both pilots seemed a little mad at the request.

"There are unauthorized zoids on the battlefield," said Jamie, a little more calmly than before.

"I don't see anything," said Bit.

"Use your heat scanners."  The team did so and looked around with their scanners.  On the hill to their right, they saw them.  A group of stealth zoids was sitting on a sand dune up the hill.

"I see them," said Leena.  "It looks like a few Helcats and some Rev Raptors."

"Deliberating…deliberating…" said the judge.

"What's going on here?" asked one of the other team members.

"Will you be quiet, Toru, I'm trying to listen to what they're saying!" shouted another of the Hero team members.

"Now, now, boys, calm down," said a female voice.  "Let's just wait and see what happens."  The stealth zoids soon rose and began running down the hill.

"Uh…Judge, please announce your decision," said Jamie.

"Unauthorized zoids on the battlefield.  This battle has been cancelled, I repeat, this battle has been cancelled."  The capsule soon closed and lifted back off into the sky.

"I guess we should take care of these zoids," said Bit.

"Do you think it's the Backdraft?" asked Leena.

"It might be," answered Brad.

"Well then, let's go!" shouted Bit as he charged the oncoming enemy.  Brad and Leena followed.  The battle had begun.

******

"Nooo!" whined Tori as he hit his head on the table and then lied there.  "That wasn't supposed to happen."  His father just smirked and laughed quietly.

"Well, it seems that you won't be getting a new jeep now, doesn't it," he said humorously.  Tori turned and glared at his father.

"Don't expect any phone calls for a few more years," he said coldly.  His father simply smiled and turned back to the screen.

"This will be interesting," he said.

"Who is that?  The Backdraft is gone, so who could be after them?" asked Tori as he lifted his head up off the table and sat up.

"I'm not sure."  They both just watched the screen as the battle started to take place.

******

There were 34 zoids in all.  17 Rev Raptors and 17 Helcats.  The Blitz team, still using their heat sensors, charged right into the middle of the herd of zoids.  The Hero team stood by and watched.  Their team consisted of a red and yellow Lightning Saix, a blue and silver Spino Sappa, and a deep green Dark Spiner.

"Hey Tai, is your heat scanner working?" asked the pilot of the Spino Sappa.

"Not yet, but I'm trying," responded the Dark Spiner's pilot.  "What about you, Ayame?"

"It's still broken because someone fried the circuits in my zoid," said the pilot of the Lightning Saix.  She directed her glare towards the Spinno Sappa.

"It's not my fault," he defended.

"Toru, it's always your fault," responded Tai from his Dark Spiner.

"So…should we help them?" asked Ayame.

"Yeah, let's go," responded Tai.  "No one interrupts our battles."  The three zoids took off to join the fray between the Blitz team and the unknown zoid group.

"These pilots are tougher than most, even with these zoids," said Brad.

"I know; I've only taken down two so far," said Leena.  They continued battling.

"Strike Laser Claw!" yelled Bit as the Liger Zero sliced through one of the Helcats.  He continued dodging as bullets rained down on his zoid.  Only a few made their mark.  "Come on!  We shouldn't be having this much trouble with these zoids," said Bit after being hit with a few more bullets.

"I know, but they seem to be more skilled than most of the zoids we've fought," retorted Leena.

"I guess that means they aren't from the Backdraft group," informed Brad.  A com-link soon popped up on all of their screens to reveal Jamie.

"You guys, these zoids are different from the other one's you've fought.  They have reinforced armor and more weapons on them.  Not to mention the blades of those Rev Raptors are electrically charged.  They can cut through even the hardest of metal.  Be careful!"

"We will, but man, who would do something like this?" asked Bit.  "And what do they want us for?"  Bit was too busy with one of the Helcats that he didn't notice that a Rev Raptor was coming up behind him.  Leena had just finished off one of the Helcats.  The enemy zoids had given up on their stealth shields, since they weren't helping at all.  Leena turned around and looked towards Bit.  She saw the Rev Raptor standing behind him, ready to bring down one of its mighty blades on him.

"Bit!  Behind you!" she shouted.

"What?"  Bit seemed confused.  He turned to look just as the blade was descending upon him.  Suddenly, the Rev Raptor was bombarded with bullets, stopping its swing.  Bit turned and looked in the direction where the bullets had come from.  He saw a Dark Spiner standing there, its guns poised.  He continued shooting at the Rev Raptor.

"Wow.  I thought it would have gone down by now.  What a stubborn zoid," said Tai.

"Hey, thanks," said Bit.

"No problem.  We're always willing to help."  The Rev Raptor soon went down for good.  The rest of the Hero team began to attack as well, taking on a few more of the zoids.

Meanwhile, in the Hover Cargo, Jamie was trying to monitor everything with the help of Doc and Hikari, who wasn't helping as much as she would have liked to.  She was looking around the battlefield, as if there was something missing.  'Something still doesn't feel right,' she thought to herself.  There was a feeling in the pit of her stomach.  Something told her that the worst was yet to come.  That's when she saw it.  On the top of the sand hill stood a dragon like zoid.  It looked a lot like a Genosaurer, but it had longer and more deadly claws on both its feet and hands.  On the shoulders were machine guns.  It had a spiked tail, each spike being razor sharp.  Its head was a lot like a Genosaurer's, but the teeth were longer and sharper.  Its eyes were a glowing red color.  On its back was what made it look like a dragon.  There was a pair of wings.  The whole zoid was jet black, except for the silver claws, spikes, and teeth.  The eyes were glowing brightly.  'Oh gods, what is that?' thought Hikari.  'Why do I feel like…I've seen it before…what is it?'  Suddenly, it felt as if her whole body was pulsing, and the scene before her eyes vanished into one of a burning lab…the same place from her dream.  Outside of the glass windows stood that zoid.  The zoid roared loudly and then walked away, leaving the burning building behind it.  A single name formed on her lips, escaping from her mind.

"Kaijin," she said in a scared voice.

"Hikari?" asked Jamie, snapping her out of her daze.  The scene of the battlefield soon returned and she found herself in the Hover Cargo.  "Is something wrong?"

"Kaijin!" she shouted, running to the window.  'That zoid…it's Kaijin!  It has to be, but…how did I know?  I can't remember…'  Hikari's head began to hurt and she fell to her knees against the window.

"Hikari, are you all right?" asked Doc.

"Daijoubu, demo…Kaijin…korede…doushite?"  I'm fine, but…Kaijin…here…why?  She seemed to be speaking in fragments of sentences, due to the pain in her head.

"What is this 'Kaijin'?" asked Jamie.

"Ryuujin…zoid…"  Dragon…zoid…  Hikari stood up and pointed out the window towards the black dragon.  Both Doc and Jamie looked on in shock.  Jamie quickly ran to the controls and got on the com-link.

"Guys, be careful!  There's a black zoid standing on that hill over there!"

Outside on the battlefield, things were going pretty well.  There weren't many more enemies to deal with.  Most had been taken out by now.  Jamie's message came through loud and clear.

"Where?  What hill?" asked Bit.  He looked around and soon found what Jamie had been talking about.  The dragon like zoid roared loudly and then jumped down the hill, sliding the rest of the way, and landing in front of them just as the last enemy zoid fell to the desert sands.

"What is that?" asked Brad.

"Kaijin…" said Hikari over their com-links.

"Kaijin?" asked Bit.  He looked the zoid up and down.  He knew it already.  This wouldn't be easy.

******

Tori nearly spit out his coffee when he saw the black dragon zoid.  Even though the judge was gone, the carrier in space was filming the battle.  That, and the ZBC had cameras in random places to keep tabs on the battlefields in case the judges were taken out.

"No way!" he said as he stood up and slammed his hands on the table.  "Where did that come from?"

"I don't believe it," said his father, standing as well.  A lot of the people in the cafeteria area were staring at them now, but they didn't care.

"That's…Kaijin!  How did that thing get there?!" shouted Tori.

"I…don't know…"

"Dad!" Tori shouted, turning to his father.  "What are we going to do?  That thing will kill them!"  Tori's father looked around the room and then locked eyes with one of the workers at the building.

"You there!" he shouted, catching the man's attention.  "Get the first and second units out to the battlefield where the Blitz team and the Hero team are battling.  Get rid of that black zoid."  The man nodded and quickly ran out of the room.

"I never thought I'd see that thing again," said Tori with amazement in his voice.  "What an awesome zoid.  It's practically invincible.  No wonder it was given the name Kaijin."

"You do remember what was said about that zoid, don't you?"

"I would never forget.  Remember, I helped research it."

"Yes you did.  You were a talented kid.  Whatever happened?"

"Yeah…hey, dad!  This isn't the time to be making fun of me!  We kind of have a problem on our hands right now."

"I'm aware of that.  I hope they can hold out long enough."

******

"Hikari, can you tell me anything about this zoid?  Anything I can understand?" asked Jamie.  Hikari sadly shook her head.  'I could say so much, but you wouldn't understand me…oh gods, why did it have to show up now?  And why can't I speak that language anymore?  What's wrong with me?'  She reached up to her neck and gripped her dog tags, one with her name and the other with a serial number.  'There's something I'm supposed to remember about this…about that zoid…I don't understand…why can't I remember it?  This is horrible…I…I'm afraid.  What is this pain I feel?  Something horrible is about to happen…I know it.'

On the battlefield, the Blitz team and the Hero team were standing around, staring at the dark zoid.

"Who are you?" asked Bit, after opening a com-link with the zoid's cockpit.  It was pitch black so he couldn't see the pilot.

"Yami…call me…Yami."

"What do you want?" asked Leena

"My business isn't with you.  It's with Akari."

"Who's Akari?" asked Bit, obviously not getting what the man meant.

"That's none of your concern, however…since you're here, I might as well get rid of you.  Your teams may prove to be a threat later on."  The Kaijin roared and then charged at them, going at speeds that they didn't think were possible for such a zoid.  It was incredibly graceful as it moved towards them.  It slashed out with its claws, but they all managed to dodge the attack.

"What is that thing?  Its speed is incredible!" exclaimed Bit.

"No kidding.  I could barely see it," agreed Leena.  The Kaijin roared loudly and then let loose a barrage of missiles right at Leena.  She tried dodging but most of them hit their target.  After the attack was over, Leena pushed the Gun Sniper up, but stood frozen to the spot when she saw a huge rocket like bullet heading towards her.

"Leena!" yelled Jamie.

"Get out of the way!" yelled Brad.  But there wasn't time.  Suddenly, something pushed her out of the way.  It was the Liger Zero.  The bullet hit, causing the cockpit top to be blown off and sending its pilot flying.  Bit hit the ground hard.  He lied there for a moment as the dust from the sand cleared.  He coughed once before attempting to move.

"Man, that hurts," he said to himself as he slowly pushed himself back up.  His head was pounding and his leg hurt.  He sat on the sand and looked around.  The black zoid was approaching him.  There was nothing Bit could really do right now.  Suddenly, a few shots rang out.  Bit looked over and found the members of the Hero team.  They were bombarding the Kaijin with hundreds of bullets.  Brad soon joined in with his Shadow Fox.  The Kaijin, however, got off one shot, sending it right at Bit.  However, the Dark Spiner wasn't far off and quickly got in front of the bullet, taking the hit.  The Kaijin roared loudly, but soon saw an army of zoids in the distance.  The Kaijin turned tail and ran, not wanting to get involved with the authorities right now.  Everyone watched as the Kaijin left, even though he had had the upper hand over the battle.

"How strange…" said Bit.  The cockpit to the Gun Sniper opened and Leena jumped out.  She quickly made her way over to the fallen ultimate X pilot.

"Bit, are you alright?" she asked.

"I think so.  How about you?" he asked as he smiled up at her.

"I'm fine, but it looks like we'll have to make a few repairs."  "A few" was an understatement.  They would have to make a ton of repairs.  Bit slowly stood up, making sure not to hurt himself further.  He looked up as the zoids from the Hero team approached him and Leena.  The cockpit of the Dark Spiner opened and a young man jumped out.  He landed a little off balance, but quickly corrected himself.  He was cradling his right arm.  He had auburn colored hair that was spiked and slightly messy.  His eyes were a faded green color, but seemed to be smiling anyway.  His shirt was a grayish blue color and his vest was a dark tan color.  His pants were brown, and his boots were black.  He also wore a dark blue belt around his waist.  His pants seemed kind of baggy, the ends being tucked into his boots.  He wore a smile on his face as he approached them.

"Hey, you guys okay?" he asked.

"I think so," answered Bit.  He looked over the pilot and saw a small stream of blood run down his arm.  "What about you?  You took that hit for me."

"I'm fine.  Don't worry.  I've had worse," he assured them.  "Oh yeah, I forgot.  My name's Tai, what's yours?"

"I'm Bit."

"Leena."

"Well, it's been nice working with you, but…let's not do this again."

"I'm with ya there," responded Bit.

"Tai!" shouted a female voice.

"Are you alright?" asked a male voice.

"I'm fine," he responded, looking over his shoulder at his teammates.  Bit and Leena watched as two people ran up to him.  The girl had dark lavender hair, pulled back into two long ponytails.  Her eyes were a midnight blue color and full of fire right now.  She wore a light blue top and a white over jacket that tied in the front around her waist.  Her shorts were black and they fit tightly on her.  Her black boots were to her ankles and had heels.  Silver bracelets accompanied her outfit.  The other man was a few inches taller than Tai, making him seem really tall, since Tai was Bit's height.  The man wore a white T-shirt and a black over shirt.  His pants were a dark gray color and baggy.  He also wore a pair of boots, only his were brown.  His hair was short and dark blue and his eyes were brown.

"What's the big idea, Tai?  You had us worried!" shouted the girl.

"You really shouldn't take so many risks," added the guy.

"I know, I know, sorry, okay?"  Tai looked to a confused Bit and Leena.  "Sorry.  Bit, Leena, these are my teammates, Ayame and Toru."

"Hello," said Ayame and Toru simultaneously.

"Hello," said Bit and Leena.

"What about your team?" asked Tai.

"Oh, that's Brad in the Shadow Fox, and Jamie, our strategist, is in the Hover Cargo, along with my dad," explained Leena.

"Bit!  Leena!" shouted Hikari.  They all turned and watched as the silver haired girl ran towards her friends.  "Daijoubu?" Are you alright? she asked, the concern evident in her voice.  Her expression told them what she was trying to ask.

"We're all fine, Hikari," responded Leena.  "Thanks for the concern."

"Mondai nai."  No problem.

"Whoa…what language is that?" asked Ayame.

"We don't know," answered Bit.

"Are you guys going to be able to get back to your base?" asked Leena.

"Don't worry, our strategist should be coming with our ride soon," said Toru.  As if on cue, the wind shifted and they all looked up to see a Whale King.  It landed not far from them and the mouth opened.

"I saw the whole thing; are you guys alright?" asked a young girl.  She ran out of the zoid and up to her team.  She seemed to be about 14 or 13 and had bright red hair that hung to her shoulders.  Her eyes were a dark violet color, framed with a pair of glasses.  She wore a white tank top and a blue jean jacket.  Her skirt was also made of denim.  Her tennis shoes were black and white.  She was quite a bit shorter than her older teammates.

"Hello, Kyouri," said Tai.  He then sighed.  "It looks like I'll have to do more introductions.  Bit, Leena, this is Kyouri."  They all just nodded.

"It's time to go," announced Toru.

"Yeah, okay," sighed Tai.  "Well, I'll see you guys around sometime."

"You can count on it," responded Bit.  They waved as the Hero team loaded their zoids into the Whale King and took off, leaving the Blitz team to think about what had just happened.

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That's all for now^.^


	6. We Never Dreamed to See

Chapter 6:  We Never Dreamed to See

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"We were so close," said Tori's father in disappointment.  "We need to get that zoid back."

"Do you know who was piloting it?" asked Tori.  His father simply shook his head.

"I'm afraid I don't.  You see, about a year ago, we got rid of that zoid.  Or at least, we thought we did.  Apparently, someone found it.  I wouldn't be surprised if it was experiment Yami that was piloting that thing.  He had taken a liking to that zoid and always spoke about how he'd pilot it one day."

"So then what was he after?" asked Tori.

"You've got me," shrugged his father.  "I don't know what goes on in Yami's head.  He was always quite confusing."

"Hey dad?  Do you mind if I go back to my base and get my Lightning Saix?"

"Not at all, Tori."  Tori turned and began to walk away.

"Oh yeah," he said while walking, as if just remembering something.  "I don't really want to walk there, so I'll borrow your car."

"Tori…" warned his father.

"Thanks dad!" shouted Tori as he quickly ran and turned the corner disappearing from his father's angry glare.

******

"Hikari," said Leena.  "Are you sure there's nothing you can tell us about that zoid?"  Hikari simply lowered her head and shook it sadly.  If they were able to understand her, she'd be able to tell them a ton of stuff, but they couldn't and she wasn't able to speak the same language anymore.  'I wish I could tell them what I know, even if it isn't much,' she thought sadly to herself.  "Gomen ne," she said to them.  I'm sorry

"Don't worry," said Doc.  "It's not that important."  Hikari simply nodded, even if she wasn't convinced.  The door opened and Bit walked in, or more like limped in.  He had sprained his ankle during the battle yesterday and was limping around instead of resting.  "Bit, you're supposed to be resting," scolded Leena.

"I'm not tired," he complained.  "What's the point in resting if I'm not tired?  Besides, it's not like I got seriously injured or anything."

"Bit, you were thrown from the cockpit," pointed out Brad.

"He's right," agreed Jamie.  "You can't expect to walk away with such minor injuries every time.  I mean, you could have broken a few bones, but you only managed to get a sprained ankle."

"I don't think it's even sprained," muttered Leena, earning her a glare from Bit.  Doc was currently on the phone with someone, but they didn't hear any of the conversation.  Doc hung up the phone and sighed after his conversation, drawing everyone's attention.  "So Doc, who was that?" asked Bit.

"That was one of the officers from the ZBC.  They had no luck in tracking down the Kaijin," he told them.  This news brought them all down a little.

"What about the Hero team?" asked Bit.

"The only one who was injured was their leader, Tai," recapped Doc.  "He should be out in a few days.  His arm was fractured, but that's about it."

"That's good to hear," sighed Bit.  He then turned around and began to head to the hanger.  "I think I'll get to work on Liger."

"I sent all the zoids to the shop in Temps town for a repair job," said Doc, causing Bit to pause in his stride.

"You're letting someone else work on Liger?" he asked Doc, sounding either disturbed or surprised.

"Bit, in case you forgot, the cockpit was practically destroyed," reminded Jamie.  "We don't have the parts or the tools necessary to fix that kind of damage."  Bit seemed a little disappointed, but he appeared to understand.  He simply left for the hanger anyway.  Leena decided to follow him.  "Hey Bit!" she shouted as she ran down the hallway to catch up with him.  He stopped and turned to her, waiting for her to catch up.  "What?" he asked.  She stopped when she was just a foot away.  "I just wanted to say thank you," she said.  He raised an eyebrow out of confusion.

"Thank me for what?" he asked.

"You took that hit," she told him.

"Of course I took that hit," he said, as if it had been the most obvious thing to do.

"But why?"

"It would have hit you."

"But still, why did you take that hit?"

"Because you could have been hurt.  What?  Did you want me to simply leave you there?"

"No, I just wanted to know why you did it."  He turned away and began to walk towards the hanger.  However, he still hadn't given Leena a direct answer and she didn't plan to leave him alone until she got one.  "Come on Bit, I want an answer," she told him.

"For what?" he asked, slightly annoyed.

"Why did you take that hit?"

"I already told you."

"No you didn't.  You simply tried to get around the question.  Now I want an answer."  He didn't say anything.  "Come on."  Still nothing.  "I want an answer, Bit," she almost demanded.  Apparently he couldn't take anymore, because he stopped, spun around, and faced her.

"I didn't want to see you get hurt, okay?" he yelled at her.  "Now will you stop asking me?"  He turned back around and continued towards the hanger.  Leena stood there, slightly shocked at what she had just heard.  He didn't want to see her get hurt?  She hadn't known that he cared that much, or maybe it was just his nature.  He was constantly trying to help people if he felt he should.  Maybe he was just being a good leader, but she couldn't help but wonder about what he meant by it.  She began to walk towards the hanger, since there wasn't much to really do right now.

******

"Sir!" shouted one of the ZBC officials.  Their leader turned to face the man, a look of annoyance on his face.

"What is it?" he asked, uninterested.

"Someone took your car," said the man urgently, earning him a sigh from his leader.

"I'm aware of that," he told the man.  "It was Tori."

"Your own son stole your car?" questioned the official.

"Is it that hard to believe?"

"Well…not really, sir."

"Just tell me when he gets back, alright?"  Another man then ran into the office room.

"Sir, we have something on radar!" he exclaimed.  "It appears to be a Lightning Saix."

"That's just Tori," said the commissioner of the ZBC.  "Let him in."

"Yes sir!"  Both men left the room, followed slowly by the commissioner.  He walked towards the docking area where Tori would be stationing his Saix.  Tori was just getting out of the cockpit when his father entered the room.  "Hey dad, I'm back," he said.

"I can see that," responded his father.  "Where's my car?"  Tori froze and then put his hand behind his head nervously.

"Well, the funny thing is…I kind of left it back at my base."

"Tori…"

"Well, if you had just bought me a new one, this wouldn't have happened."

"You shouldn't have given away your jeep two weeks after getting it."

"Would you rather I gave away my Lightning Saix?"

"I would rather you not give away everything I send you.  You're always doing that.  And also, you're never around!  Half the staff didn't even know I had a son, because they never get to see you.  Even the media doesn't know your name!"

"That's only that one news station," defended Tori.  "I've been in magazines before and on TV stations.  Only that one place doesn't know my name, but they know I'm your son."

"Then why don't you start acting like it?"

"Because I'm sick and tired of the research you do here!" shouted Tori, their conversation turning ugly.  Both were speaking with anger instead of modest insults.

"What do you mean?" asked the commissioner.

"I mean I'm sick of all these experiments, and project Mirai.  You created Yami and Akari for that purpose and that purpose alone, but did you ever stop to think what they wanted?  Maybe that's why Yami left.  He knew what you intended to do and he wanted to live his own life.  That's why he took the Kaijin from its resting spot and that's why he's trying to create his own Mirai with the help of Akari!"  The commissioner said nothing to this outburst, because in all honesty, he knew his son was right.  He sighed deeply, but said nothing.  Tori wasn't done yet.  "You played with their lives like they were nothing but experiments, but they were both living, breathing people!  I know Yami was corrupt, but you're all partially to blame for his change!  That's why I left, dad, and I would have taken experiment Akari with me if I wouldn't have been killed on the spot!"

"What do you mean?  No one would have killed you," he told his son.

"Is that what you think?  Before I left, the scientist in charge threatened me, saying that if I even tried to take Akari, I'd be killed instantly."

"I was never told this."

"Well, now you know," finished Tori, having nothing left to say to his father.  There was no more time for words, however, because the sirens began to sound throughout the ZBC headquarters.  Tori and his father looked around, wondering just what was going on.  A few soldiers ran into the hanger area.  "Sir!" shouted one of them, catching both Tori and his father's attention.  "It's the Kaijin!  It's approaching the city as we speak!"

"What?!" shouted the commissioner.  Both he and Tori ran from the cargo hold, up the stairs, and into the monitoring room.  Just outside the city was the Kaijin, walking across the sands, heading right for them.  "Tori," demanded his father, turning to his son.  "I want you to get out of here.  Leave now!"

"Are you insane?  I'm not leaving!"

"If you stay, you may get killed."

"If I leave, all of you will get killed!"

"Tori, this is an order!" demanded his father, turning his furious eyes to his son.  "You have to live!  If I die, I need you to lead the ZBC!  Do you understand?"  Tori said nothing.  He simply turned around.

"Then…" Tori started quietly, "I'll make sure you don't die!"  He ran out of the room and to the cargo hold.  His father was simply staring at where his son was a second ago.  'That idiot,' he cursed mentally.  'A Lightning Saix can't take on a zoid like the Kaijin.  He'll be killed!'

"Sir!" shouted one of the officials, snapping the commissioner out of his stupor.  "Something's happening to the Kaijin."

"What?"

"It stopped advancing and appears to be…charging something."  The commissioner's eyes went wide.

"Oh God…" he whispered.

Outside the city, the Kaijin stood, slightly bent over, its mouth open.  A cannon appeared there.  Light seemed to be getting pulled into the cannon, gathering inside.  It was different from the charged particle cannon, but it was just as small.  The eyes of the Kaijin began to glow a bright red before the cannon stopped charging.  In a split second, the cannon fired, releasing a stream of bright yellow and blue light that was now heading right for the ZBC headquarters and the city around it.

The commissioner slid to the ground as the windows to the room soon were filled with a blinding light.  "Why did we ever build something like that?" he wondered aloud.  "Tori…I hate to admit it, but it looks like you were right this time.  Maybe it would have been better if we had never tried to mess with the future of Zi.  Project Mirai is officially over."  The glass shattered and a huge explosion followed, devouring the entire building and half of the city around it.

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That's all for now^.^  More will come soon!

Bye until then!

And happy turkey day!


	7. But No Matter What Happens

Chapter 7:  But No Matter What Happens

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The members of the Blitz team were sitting in the living room of the base, watching TV.  They had nothing better to do.  It was going to be a slow day.  However, their program was soon interrupted.  "We interrupt this program to bring you an urgent message.  We received word that an unknown zoid has just attacked the headquarters of the ZBC, located in the capital."  All of the members were now wide eyed as they listened carefully to what this news woman was saying.  "No one knows why it happened, but half the city is now in ruins.  The dead and injured are still being counted.  This is a very sad day indeed.  The officials at the building are all dead…including the head commissioner of the ZBC, Jason Ragnarok."

"My God…" whispered Leena, completely blown away by the news.

"The leader of the ZBC…" started Jamie.  "I can't believe he's gone."

"There isn't anything left of the building," continued the reporter.  "All the officials were most likely killed instantly.  This is truly a sad day.  The commissioner's only son was reported missing.  Some say they saw him leave right when the building was destroyed, but we aren't sure if he made it out or not.  All we can do is pray.  The black zoid that was reported just outside the city was gone by the time the other officials from neighboring cities arrived.  However, a few witnesses say it was a dragon like zoid with red eyes.  If anyone knows the whereabouts of this zoid, please contact us."  Bit turned the television off.  The room was silent as they all took in the news.  The leader of the ZBC was gone and his son was missing.  This didn't bode well for the ZBC as the peace keepers of Zi.  Bit stood up and began to walk towards the hanger, followed by Leena.  The new really hit them all hard.  They were beginning to feel lost and weren't sure what direction this would all head in next.  Having the commissioner of the ZBC taken out was like taking out the general of an army.  Zi wasn't going to be the same now.  Bit made it to the hanger and simply looked outside.  The zoids had just been delivered back to the hanger and it was only mid afternoon.  The day was already going by slowly.  He walked to the open hanger entrance, which was basically that entire wall.  He looked out at the vast desert and the blazing sun.  Leena came into the room and stood behind him, watching the desert as well.  However, something black soon appeared on the horizon.  Bit squinted, trying to get a better view of it.  "What's that?" he asked aloud.

"What's what?" asked Leena, coming up next to him.  Bit pointed out into the desert.

"That thing," he said.  Leena squinted as well, trying to get a better view of the moving black dot.

"I'm not sure," she said to him.  Bit focused a little more and soon the black thing came into view.

"It's a Lightning Saix," he said to Leena, sounding slightly confused.

******

 Doc, Jamie, and Brad all sat in the main room of the base where the video phone was.  It began to beep, drawing their attention.  It was different than most calls they got.  This was simply a signal.  Doc walked over and pushed a few buttons, brining up a map of the desert around them.  The video phone operated in more ways than just its name implies.  "What's going on, Doc?" asked Jamie.

"It appears to be a distress signal," said Doc.

"From who?" asked Brad.  Doc hit a few more buttons and watched the screen.  A Lightning Saix soon appeared in the corner of the screen.  The outside cameras were watching it.  "It's from that Lightning Saix."

******

Bit and Leena were still watching the Saix.  It wasn't moving quite as quickly as it probably could.  Bit watched it a little more, his keen eye sight missing nothing about the zoid.  It looked familiar, but then again, most Lightning Saix looked the same.  Still, there was something he couldn't shake about the zoid.  The right front leg was sparking, which was near impossible to see, but Bit saw evidence of it.  Blue sparks would occasionally shoot out from the leg.  "Bit, Leena," said Doc over the intercom system.  "There's a distress signal coming from an approaching Lightning Saix."

"Distress signal?" questioned Leena.  "Why would it be sending out a distress signal?"  As if to answer her question, the ground in front of the Saix exploded, revealing a Guysack.  Above it flew a black Storm Sworder.  A Rev Raptor came up behind it.  "That would explain the distress signal," noted Leena.

"We gotta help him," stated Bit as he turned and headed for the newly repaired Liger Zero.  Leena ran to her Gun Sniper and got in.  The two of them were soon off, heading out to help the Lightning Saix.

******

The black Storm Sworder in the sky began to let loose hundreds of bullets which rained down on the Saix.  It tried to run, but the Rev Raptor fired at its injured leg, taking it down.  In the cockpit, the delinquent son of the late commissioner sat at the controls.  He was breathing heavily, his black hair matted to his forehead.  He had a large cut running down the side of his face and his arm was cut in various places.  He looked around, watching as the three zoids got closer.  'I wonder if they work for the Kaijin,' he pondered.  The Guysack prepared to fire, its cannon aimed straight for the cockpit.  Tori's eyes widened as he saw this.  He pushed the eject button, but the system was jammed.  He quickly removed the harness and pried the cockpit open enough for him to jump out.  He made it out just as the gun fired, the cockpit exploding and the glass raining down on him.  However, he quickly got up, clutching his arm, and ran, heading for the base in the distance.  He soon saw two zoids approaching from it and he began to feel relieved, but a sharp pain in his back soon washed away all hope he had.  The sand behind him exploded, the flames of the explosion pushing him forward and blowing him off his feet.  He hit the ground hard and cried out.  He couldn't move and he noticed that the sand was slowly turning red under him.  He still got up and kept running, trying to make it to the zoids in the distance.  However, he was soon thrown forward as the tail of the Guysack hit him from behind.  It was a light hit, however, and was not intended to kill him.  He rolled for a few feet and then stopped, his face down in the sand.  He struggled to get up, but he gave up and fell back down onto the sand.  He moved just a little so he could see what was happening.  All three black zoids were behind him, ready to kill him.  His vision began to blur as darkness began to grip at his mind.  They were all ready to fire at him when a white blur, followed by bullets, pushed the three zoids away from him.  He watched as a white Liger and a loaded Gun Sniper appeared, facing down the three black zoids.  It was at that time that he lost consciousness.

Bit and Leena charged the three black zoids.  The Storm Sworder took off, but Leena saw it and fired before it could pick up enough speed.  It was out.  "Strike Laser Claw!" shouted Bit as he ripped apart the Guysack.  Both he and Leena shot down the Rev Raptor.  They both smiled at their victory.  Leena looked to the downed Saix.  "Man, they really did a number on this zoid," she said, looking at all the damage.

"You're telling me.  They really intended to kill that pilot," said Bit, opening the cockpit on the Liger.  He jumped out and walked to the injured pilot of the Lightning Saix.  Something about the man was familiar.  He wore a dark blue shirt, white trench coat, brown pants and black boots.  His clothing was ripped and there were bloody spots all over his back from debris and glass that had cut into him, but most of it had just grazed him.  He didn't appear to have any of the pieces still imbedded in his body.  Bit looked down at the man's face, but he couldn't see much of it.  However, he soon put the face with a name, but was still unsure if that was who this man was.  

"No way," he said in shock.  Leena had gotten out of her cockpit and was walking towards Bit.  The blond kneeled down next to the injured pilot.  He turned him over so that he was on his back and Bit recognized the man instantly as the person who had saved his life out in the desert.  "Tori!" he exclaimed.

"Who?" asked Leena, looking at the injured Saix pilot.

"His name is Tori.  He saved my life."

"When?"

"Remember that day I came home late?  You know, when the Liger Zero had all those scratches on it?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, I may not have come back at all if Tori hadn't found me in the desert."  Leena looked over Tori.  He had quite a few injuries and a serious head wound.

"Bit, we need to get him back to the base," she said, her voice sounding slightly urgent.  "Some of those wounds are pretty serious."

"I know," said Bit, scanning Tori's many injuries.  'Why were they after him?' pondered Bit.  'He's just some guy living out in the desert.  Who would want to hurt him?'

******

It had been two days since they found Tori and he wasn't awake yet.  All his wounds had been treated and he was placed in the medical vicinity.  He was lying on the bed peacefully.  Suddenly, his eyes fluttered open, his vision blurry at first.  He blinked a few times to put his eyes in focus.  He was in a hospital like room.  He slowly sat up, taking note of the pain that shot through him.  He finally managed to sit up and began to look himself over.  His shirt was hanging on the end of his bed.  His chest was wrapped with bandages and so were some places on his arms.  He reached up and touched the bandages around his forehead.  His legs were probably bandaged as well, but he was wearing his pants, so he couldn't see them.  "Where…am I?" he asked aloud.  He just sat there for a while, pondering his whereabouts and trying to recall exactly what had happened.

"Hey," said a familiar voice, brining him away from his stupor.  His eyes landed on the blonde, green eyed Bit Cloud.

"Bit," he said, his voice sounding shocked.  Bit simply nodded to Tori.  "I didn't know this was your base."

"Well, it's a good thing you came out this way.  You were almost killed out there."

"It looks like this time I owe you."

"We'll just call it even," said Bit with a smile, returning Tori to his optimistic appearance.  Leena walked by the door and noticed that Bit was talking to Tori.  She stopped and entered the room.  "Good, you're awake," she said, catching both boys' attention.

"Tori, this is Leena," introduced Bit.

"Hi," said Tori.  Doc, Brad, and Jamie entered the room then.  Tori simply smiled.  "Hello," he said to all of them.  "I really owe you all for doing this for me."

"Just what were you doing out there?" asked Jamie.

"I was trying to find some help because I had gotten injured, but those zoids were following me.  I ended up heading in this direction and luckily I found your base."  Tori noticed that Doc Toros was staring at him, as if studying him.

"It's strange," said Doc.  "I know I've seen you somewhere before, but I just don't remember where."  They were all staring at Doc strangely.  His eyes wandered to a small stand that had a few magazines on it.  He smiled and then went over to them.  He dug through them and soon found what he was looking for.  He opened to a page and smiled.  "I knew it!" he exclaimed.  He held open the magazine and showed them the page.  There was a picture of Tori on it in an article.  "You're a researcher," he said to Tori.

"Right," said Tori.  "I _was_ a researcher.  Two years ago, I quit working for the ZBC and chose to live out in the desert at my base, but my father kept sending me things."  Tori tried to get up, but pain soon shot through his back and he winced, deciding to stay sitting on the bed.  "Do you need anything?" asked Bit.

"Some water would be nice and maybe something to eat," said Tori.

"I'll get it," said Jamie.  Brad went with him.

"Do you have any idea why those zoids were after you?" asked Bit.  Tori simply shook his head, but his eyes said different, which was what Leena noticed.

"You're lying," she stated, drawing both Bit and Tori's attention.

"What?" asked Tori.

"Don't think I can't see it, mister.  You're lying.  You know very well why they were chasing you.  Tell us."

"I…"

"Come on, out with it!" she demanded.

"Tori, are you keeping something from us?" asked Bit.  Tori simply turned away from them.

"Tell us!" shouted Leena.

"Yeah, tell us," added Bit.

"Leena, Bit, leave him alone," demanded Doc, his voice sounding urgent and excited.  "Do you two have any idea who this man is?"  Doc had just finished reading the article where it told more about Tori.  The young man currently had his head down.  Leena and Bit were both confused.

"I guess you'd have found out sooner or later," sighed Tori.  "My full name is Tori Ragnarok, Jason Ragnarok's son."  Both Bit and Leena were shocked beyond words.  Brad and Jamie returned and noticed the odd state of shock that both Bit and Leena were in.

"What's going on?" asked Brad.

"You're…you mean…" stuttered Leena.  Tori simply nodded.

"I'm the commissioner's son," said Tori.  Jamie and Brad were both shocked now.  "I wasn't planning on telling you, because I knew you'd treat me differently if you knew the truth."

"But if you're his son, then why did you leave the ZBC to live out in the desert?" asked Bit.

"I had my reasons."

"Could you tell us what happened?" asked Doc.  "You were present during the attack yesterday, weren't you?"  Tori simply nodded.

"It was the Kaijin," he said plainly.  "It came and destroyed the entire building, along with half the city.  It's strange.  I didn't leave in my Saix to escape the explosion but to fight the Kaijin head on.  It turned out that my 'arrogance' actually saved my life this time."  He paused and then smiled.  "As soon as my Saix is repaired, I think I'll go back to the capital.  The first thing Dad will say is probably 'where's my car?'."  This sent everyone into a state of shock and pity.  'He doesn't know,' was the one thought on all their minds.  The question here was: who was going to break the news to him?

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The next chapter will be un on the 24th, so look for it^.^

Until then, Audi^.^


	8. We’ll be Here

Happy Holidays!

Chapter 8:  We'll be Here

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"Tori," began Bit sadly.  "Did you…watch the news report yesterday?"

"No, why?" he asked.

"All the officials…in that building…they…" continued Leena.

"They all died," ended Bit, watching as Tori's eyes widened in unspeakable pain.  "Even the commissioner."  Tori was sent into a state of shock, his body trembling with the new knowledge.

"Impossible…" he whispered.  "Dad…he wouldn't…he…couldn't…he said he…"  Tori couldn't speak anymore.  He was having a hard time digesting the news.  His father was dead, meaning he was the new commissioner.  It wasn't a job he was prepared for at the age of eighteen.  He just didn't feel ready yet.  "I didn't even…get to say goodbye.  I couldn't even keep my promise to him before I left.  We had been arguing before that."

"Tori…" said Leena in a sympathetic voice.  The young commissioner shook his head sadly.

"I'm okay," he said, raising his head, his eyes meeting theirs.  "I'll be okay."  He gave a small, ironic laugh.  "I guess this makes me the commissioner, huh?"

"I guess it does," said Bit.  Tori smiled, but it wasn't an optimistic smile or a cheerful one.  It was more like a smirk, but it was phony.  He was simply trying to hide his pain and it was working.  At that moment, Hikari entered the room quietly.  Tori's gaze landed on her and his eyes widened instantly.  He looked as if he'd seen a ghost.  Hikari simply stared at him, her purple eyes studying him.  

"Experiment Akari…" he whispered, but no one really heard him except Hikari.  The others were just staring at the shocked expression on Tori's face.  He soon broke into a large, optimistic smile.  "Hikari!" he shouted happily, drawing everyone's attention.  He quickly stood up, his pain forgotten.  Hikari was staring at him in confusion.  "Hikari, don't you remember?" he asked her.  "It's me, Tori."  At the mention of his name, she broke into a large smile, filled with relief and excitement.

"Tori," she said happily as she ran to him, hugging him the instant she was close enough.  He returned her hug, a smile still painting his face.  "Yokata.  Haitakata, Tori."  I'm so glad.  I missed you, Tori.

"I missed you too, Hikari," he said to her, earning him blank stares from everyone else in the room.

"You…understood her," pointed out Jamie.  Tori and Hikari broke their embrace.

"Of course," answered Tori, not seeing anything odd about understanding Hikari.

"But…she spoke a different language," said Bit.

"I know that," said Tori.  "I was trained to understand it, as well as speak it."

"Do you know why she only speaks that language?" asked Doc.  Sadly, Tori nodded.

"I'm afraid this won't be a happy story, but it's possible that by telling it, Hikari will regain some of her memory."

"How did you know that she's lost some of her memory?" questioned Leena.

"My story may explain all of that," answered Tori.  He turned to Hikari.  "Please don't be angry, and don't run away, alright Hikari?  You may not like what you hear."  She nodded to him.  "Do you promise?"

"Hai."  Yes.  Tori sighed and walked over to the bed, sitting down on it, followed by Hikari.  He then began his story.

"When I was about seven, my dad told me about the research he did.  They were working on a project, titled project Mirai.  It was going to decide the future of Zi.  It was to guarantee the safety of the planet.  It was a complicated project, one that would take a while to complete.  During the project, we created the Kaijin.  It was meant to be the most powerful zoid, used only for incidents like the one during the Royal cup.  We made it lightweight but strong, having both good offense and defense.  We also made it swift.  During the project, my father and a team of geneticists created a boy using gene splicing techniques and a process that sped up his growth rate.  We called him experiment Yami."

"That was the man inside the Kaijin!" exclaimed Bit.

"Yes," said Tori sadly.  "Yami was given power that we never thought possible.  In order for him to handle a zoid like Kaijin, he had to be strong.  He is an enhanced human being, made stronger, smarter, and faster than anyone.  The only problem was…he turned out to be too independent.  He disappeared from the labs about a year ago.  It's kind of strange really.  He was driven by his need for power and his need for the Kaijin.  You see, Kaijin was too powerful, and we realized that we didn't want to control the planet by using something like that.  We couldn't destroy it so we put it somewhere where we thought no one would find it.  Apparently, we were wrong, since Yami is currently in control of the Kaijin.  You see, Yami means darkness or shadow.  We knew his nature was to become corrupted.  Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  In order to balance this force, we…we created experiment Akari…given the name…Hikari."  Tori turned his sad eyes to Hikari, who was staring at him in slight shock.  "I'm sorry, Hikari.  Like Yami, you were also created in the lab using gene splicing and growth accelerators."  He turned back to the group.  "You see, Hikari was meant to balance the power between Yami and the Kaijin, but she was younger than Yami and wasn't made in quite the same way.  She wasn't quite as strong as Yami, but was equal in a lot of other areas.  If anything, I'd say that other than physically, Hikari is superior to experiment Yami."

"Does Yami have an actual name?" asked Jamie.

"His name is Kageru Tsubaki.  You see, the names we gave them all mean something.  For example, project Mirai.  Mirai means future.  Yami means, in general…well, I guess you could say it means evil.  Akari means good.  Even the names Hikari and Kageru were given for reasons.  Kageru means destruction and Hikari means light.  We gave them names suited for what we wanted them to do.  However, Hikari wasn't always like this.  She spoke our language at one point, but about three weeks ago, the lab was destroyed.  In order to keep her from saying anything that would hurt project Mirai, they sealed part of her memory and made it so that she could only speak that language."  Tori turned back to Hikari, who was staring at him, her eyes pleading with him to take it all back, to tell her that he was just kidding, that she wasn't created in a lab.  She wanted him to simply take it back, but he couldn't.  He turned back to the others in the room.

"Do you guys mind if I speak to Hikari alone now?" he asked.

"Not at all," said Doc, pushing everyone out of the room.  Once Tori was sure they were gone, he turned back to Hikari's sad eyes.  

"Forgive me, Hikari, but none of it was a lie.  I'd do anything to change what happened to you, but I can't.  Maybe if I hadn't run away two years ago, I could have done something.  I'm so sorry, Hikari."  He turned away and lowered his head.  "I'll understand if you're mad at me.  I promise that once I'm better, I'll take you to the capital and see if the underground lab is still operational.  If it is, maybe we can get your memory back.  I won't blame you if you hate me, though."  He tensed when she placed her hands on his shoulders.  

"Hikari?" he questioned, turning to her.  Her eyes were sad but filled with understanding.  She lowered her head and rested it against his back.  

'I don't blame you, Tori,' she thought to herself.  'I could never hate you.  You were the only one who understood me.'  She returned to sitting next to him, her one hand still resting on his shoulder.

"So, you're not mad?" he asked her.  She simply nodded, bringing a small smile to his face.  Outside the door, two members of the Blitz team were listening and watching carefully.  

"You know, you can't help but feel sorry for them," said Leena.  "I mean, Tori lost everything and Hikari found out that she's an experiment."

"And with the Kaijin roaming around, it's hard to tell what's going to happen next," added Bit.  Jamie came running down the hall at that minute.

"You guys, come quick," he said to them, his voice sounding urgent.

"What is it Jamie?" asked Leena.

"You have to see what's on the news," he told them.  They all ran to the living room where everyone was watching TV.  The news was on.

"This just in," said the reporter.  "The Hero team disappeared today during their battle."  This shocked the members of the Blitz team.

"What do they mean by disappeared?" asked Bit.

"Apparently, during the battle, there was a huge explosion.  When the light cleared, the other team was left, their systems frozen.  Ayame Ryuusei and Toru Yuuretsu disappeared from the battle, zoids and all.  We have an expert team out looking for the missing pilots.  Tai Kenjitsu and Kyouri Raiden are currently staying at a secure location.  The ZBC is doing all they can to help them, but with the current loss of the commissioner, it's proving to be very difficult."  The scene switched to a picture of a council room with people flooding it.  A man in a suit stood at a podium.  

"Please," he said.  "We are doing all we can to organize the ZBC.  Until there can be an official commissioner, a team of highly respected officials, including myself, will run things."

"What about the commissioner's son?"

"Tori Ragnarok is currently missing.  We aren't sure if he made it out before the building was destroyed or not, but we are currently looking for him as well.  We're-"  The TV was turned off at that moment.  They turned around and saw Tori standing there, the remote in his hand.  He wore a scowl on his face.  

"That jerk," he said harshly.  "He thinks he can run the ZBC."

"Tori, shouldn't you tell them where you are?" asked Jamie.

"They aren't actually looking for me.  It's just a lie.  I'm willing to bet that by tomorrow, they'll proclaim me dead."

"What do you mean?" asked Bit.

"That jerk on the TV was one of the top researchers.  He hated me from the beginning.  All he wants is to lead the ZBC.  He'd kill me himself if he knew I was still alive."

"But won't others believe you?" asked Brad.  Tori put a hand behind his head.

"Well…" he dragged, "there's a problem with that.  The only people who knew what I looked like are now dead.  They were the officials of the headquarters, which is gone now.  I guess dad was right when he said even the media didn't know my name."

"So basically, you can't tell them because that man will deny it," concluded Jamie.

"Exactly, and since no one else but him knows me in the ZBC, I really can't do much.  They'll call me an imposter and have me thrown in jail."

"So what are you going to do?" asked Leena.

"I don't know," he said in a sigh, sitting down in one of the chairs.  "This is just too much for me."  He looked to Hikari, who walked up behind him.  "If I'm better, I'll take you to the lab tomorrow, okay?" he said to her.  She simply nodded.  Her gave her a soft smile and then attempted to stand up but sat right back down as a wave of dizziness washed over him.  His head began to hurt and everything was spinning.  He placed a hand on his forehead.  

"Tori, doushitano?" asked Hikari.  What's wrong?

"It's…nothing.  I just felt a little dizzy, that's all," he responded.  He stood up again and turned around, heading back towards the med room so that he could lay down, but he only made it a few feet before the dizziness hit him again, bringing him to his knees.  Hikari rushed to his side, followed by the Blitz team.  

"Daijoubu?"  Are you okay?

"I'm…I'm fine," he lied.  The room wouldn't stop spinning and his head began to pound with pain.  Bit and Brad helped him up and began to help him back to the med room.

******

"Well, I don't see anything wrong with him," said Doc.  Tori was now back on his bed in the med room, resting.  "It's probably stress related.  He's been through a lot in the past few hours."

"He sure has a lot to deal with," said Leena.  "He's the commissioner and he's barely any older than us."

"It's all Kageru and that stupid Kaijin's fault," said Bit harshly.  "He's caused enough trouble."

"I wonder how Tai is doing.  Having part of his team disappear must be hard," said Jamie.

"I guess that injury saved him," said Doc.  "He probably would have been in that battle if he hadn't gotten injured."

"I'm sure that was the Kaijin's fault as well," said Bit.

"We should probably leave and let Tori get some decent rest," suggested Doc.  They all silently agreed and followed him out of the room, but Hikari stayed with Tori.  She sat down at the edge of his bed.  

'Tori, I've missed you so much, and now you're finally back, but I'm not sure what to say to you.  This is all so confusing.  I just wish there was something I could do for you.  I mean, you lost your father and the ZBC all in one day.  I want to help you, but I don't know what to do.'

The Blitz team was sitting on the couches, thinking.  Everything was falling apart and they weren't sure exactly what to do.  The vid screen began blinking and beeping.  

"What's that?" asked Bit.  Doc stood up and walked over to it.

"Apparently a zoid is approaching us," he said to them.  "The pilot appears to be trying to contact us."

"Well, let's see who it is," said Leena.  Doc pushed a button and brought up a video screen.  The pilot was a fourteen year old girl with bright red hair and dark violet eyes.  

"I know I've seen her before," said Bit.

"Blitz team, this is Kyouri from the Hero team.  I request immediate back up," she said to them.

"Backup?" questioned Bit.

"Please, I need your help to save Tai," she begged.

"What happened?" asked Jamie.

"He's in a battle right now.  We went out on our own to look for Ayame and Toru, but we were attacked.  He told me find help and your base was the closest.  I'm begging you.  Please save him."

"Don't worry, we will," said Bit, standing up.  He, Leena, Brad, and Jamie went to their zoids to prepare for battle.  Within a few minutes, they were out of the base and into the desert.  Kyouri was waiting for them behind the controls of her Storm Sworder, which was currently stationed on the ground.  

"Follow me," she told them, taking off into the sky.  "It isn't far from here."  With that said, they were off to go help the injured leader of the Hero team.

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Happy holidays, everyone!  I hope you have a great Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanza.  Enjoy^.^

Bye!


	9. We’ll Stand Together

NOTE:  READ THIS:  Okay, there will be a few Japanese words used in this that I won't be defining in the context.  They are said by Tori.  I'll define them at the end of the chapter, so just look at the glossary down there, k?

Chapter 9:  We'll Stand Together

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The Blitz team followed Kyouri through the desert.  She was doing her best not to go too fast.  She didn't need to lose her backup.  Tai was in trouble and she needed their help to save him.  In the distance, they could all make out a battle that was taking place.  Tai, in his Dark Spiner, was completely outnumbered.  His zoid was currently lying on the desert floor, getting wailed on.  He was defenseless right now.  It was amazing that his system wasn't frozen yet.

"Tai, hang on!" shouted Kyouri over the com-link.  "I brought the Blitz team with me."  She blasted off into the fray, leaving the Blitz team to get there on their own.  There were at least twenty black painted zoids.  Half were Rev Raptors and half were Saber Fangs.  Kyouri began blasting at the enemy zoids as the Blitz team entered the fray.  They began shooting and hacking away at the enemy zoids, keeping them away from Tai.

"Hey Tai!" shouted Kyouri.  "Are you alright?"

"I think so," he replied.  He appeared in their com-links.  "Thanks for coming."  He looked horrible right now.  His arm still wasn't healed and now he had a huge cut on the side of his head.

"It's no problem," said Bit.  "We're always happy to help."  They continued shooting down the zoids, having no problem with them.  Tai and Kyouri probably would have been fine if Tai wasn't disabled right now.  Piloting with only the use of one arm wasn't at all easy.

"I thought you guys were supposed to be at a secure location," said Leena.

"We were," began Tai, "but Ayame and Toru are our friends, and staying at that base isn't going to do them any good.  We want to help them ourselves."

Within a few minutes, the zoids were all taken out.  The Blitz team and Hero team stood victorious.

"Now," began Bit.  "Let's get back to the base.  You two should come with us."

"Alright," said Kyouri.  "Let's go, Tai."

"Yeah, okay."  He sounded tired.  He had taken in a lot of damage during the battle.  His zoid could do nothing but walk.  The weapons were all damaged in one way or another, making them useless.  They all began to make their way back to the base, leaving the broken down enemy zoids where they were.  Things were really getting interesting.  The Blitz team and the Hero team were both being targeted now, along with Tori and Hikari.  And somehow, they were all ending up at the Blitz team's base.  It always seemed to work out this way.  They were always in the middle of everything.

After a while, they made it back to the Blitz team's base.  They stopped their zoids in the hanger and got out.  It took Tai a little longer to get out, but they waited for him.  He was in worse shape than they had thought.  His right leg was all cut up as well.  Nonetheless, he jumped down and landed on both legs, but quickly fell to one knee, cringing at the pain.  Kyouri was at his side within seconds.

"Tai, are you alright?" she asked.

"I'll be fine.  I just need to get some rest."

"Come on," said Jamie.  "You should get that taken care of."

"Yeah," he said as he stood up.  They all walked out of the hanger and into the base itself.  Doc was waiting in the main room.

"Wow," he said.  "You came back faster than I thought you would."

"Yeah, well, they went down quickly after we got into it," explained Bit.

"Are you two alright?" asked Doc, addressing Tai and Kyouri.

"We'll live," answered Tai.

"Come on," said Bit.  "Let's get you taken care of."

******

The members of the Blitz team, along with Tai and Kyouri, were in one of the medical rooms they had in the base.  Leena and Kyouri were currently fixing up Tai.

"Thanks," said Tai.  "We really owe you."

"Think nothing of it," began Brad.  "In reality, it might be our fault that this happened."

"Your fault?" asked Kyouri.

"Well, yeah," said Bit.  "We got you involved with Kaijin."

"Kaijin?" questioned Tai.  "You mean that black dragon zoid?"

"The one that destroyed the ZBC headquarters?" added Kyouri.

"Yeah, that one," said Bit.  "We think that Kageru, the man piloting it, is behind all of this."

"What would he want with Ayame and Toru?" asked Tai.

"I'm not sure."

"Well, anyway," continued Tai.  "As soon as we're up to it, we'll be leaving again to go and find them.  I'm not about to give up."

"It's pointless," said Tori.  They all turned to the doorway and saw the young commissioner standing there, Hikari just behind him.  He was now dressed in his dark shirt and trench coat, along with a pair of black pants.

"What did you say?" asked Tai, slightly annoyed with the statement.

"I said it's pointless.  Unless Kageru wants you to find him, you won't succeed.  He's smarter than you're giving him credit for."

"Look, I don't care what you say.  I will find them.  I'm not just going to leave them out there."

"You can't do anything in the state you're in.  It's pointless.  Kaijin would rip you and your zoid apart."

"Oh yeah?"  Tai stood up and angrily walked over to Tori.  "Just who do you think you are anyway?"  They were standing in the hallway now, simply staring at each other.  "You don't know anything about me or my team.  I'm not leaving them."

"If you go, you'll die.  It's pointless."  Tai had about all he could take out of the blue eyed boy.  He grabbed him by the shirt.

"You don't know anything!" he shouted.

"Tai, you should probably put him down," suggested Jamie.

"This jerk needs to be taught a lesson.  He's too arrogant."

"I'm only telling the truth.  If you go, you'll die.  Kaijin is too powerful.  Forget about them for now.  Be patient."

"If we wait too long, they may end up dead!"  It was silent for only a small moment before the announcer on the television caught their attention.

"-I repeat, I have a very important announcement to make concerning the ZBC," said the female reporter.

"Tori!" called Doc from the main room where the television was.  "You might want to see this!"  Tori quickly shoved away from Tai and ran quickly into the main room, followed by the others.

"I'm afraid we have some disappointing news," said the announcer.  "I take you now to the council room in Romeo city where Korran Genshu is ready to tell us all what the future of the ZBC will be."  The scene switches to the council room where a man in a suit was standing in front of a podium.  It was the same man from before.

"I'm afraid I have some rather disappointing news," he began.  "The son of Jason Ragnarok, Tori Ragnarok, has been reported dead."  The members of the Blitz team gasped.  Tori clenched his fists out of anger.  "We are all mourning over the loss of our great leader and his son.  From now on, I will lead the ZBC with my group of highly trained officials.  We will-"  Tori shut the TV off, unable to take it.

"Kuso!" he cursed.  "The nerve of that…that…kisama!"  Hikari gasped, being the only one who knew what the word meant.  Calling someone by that word wasn't common.  Tori was obviously incredibly angry.  "I'll go back there and teach him a lesson, I swear it!  When I'm through with him, he won't set foot in another ZBC base for as long as he lives!"  Tori suddenly felt dizzy again.  He couldn't take this.  His world was falling apart in the matter of a day.  He staggered over to the couch and sat down, trying to calm his raging pulse and his headache.

"Tori, daijoubu?" asked Hikari.  Are you alright?

"I'm fine, Hikari," he said, the anger still present in his voice.

"Could someone fill us in?" asked Kyouri.

"Why are you so upset?" asked Tai, directing his question to Tori.  "What does that man have anything to do with you?"

 "He has everything to do with me," snapped Tori.  "That liar is going to get what's coming to him, mark my words.  He's not sorry at all for my father's death, and he sure as hell isn't sorry about mine!"

"What?" asked Tai, slightly confused.  "What are you talking about?"

"Tori Ragnarok isn't dead," stated Doc.

"What?" asked both Tai and Kyouri.

"In fact," began Bit.  "He's very much alive.  He's also the guy you wanted to kill a few minutes ago."  Tai's eyes fell on Tori, who still seemed angry.

"You mean you're him?!" shouted Tai in shock.

"Exactly," answered Tori, taking in a deep, calming breath before standing.  He put on a small smile and turned his attention to Tai.  "Tori Ragnarok," he said, extending his hand.  "We kind of got off on the wrong foot, so I'm making up for it.  It's nice to meet you, Tai Kenjitsu."  Tai was speechless at first.  He suddenly snapped out of it.

"Oh, right," he began.  He shook Tori's hand.  "I'm sorry about before.  I wouldn't have reacted like that if I had known you were the commissioner."

"That's quite alright," said Tori with a smile.  "I'd prefer it if all of you would act normally around me.  I'm no better than any of you are.  Besides, according to the rest of the world, I don't even exist now, remember?"  There was a small trace of spite in his voice.

"We'll figure out something," assured Bit.  "We won't let them get away with this."  Tori turned to Bit, slightly surprised.

"Are you guys really willing to help me out?" he asked.  "Cause it'll be risky.  We may all get thrown in jail or possibly get executed.  You're okay with that?"

"We're going to help you," stated Leena.

"Well," began Tori.  "First, let's take care of Kaijin.  Then we'll deal with the ZBC.  I have to get back at Kageru for what he did.  However…"  He turned to Hikari.  "We need to get to the headquarters and find the lab.  You need to get your full memory back."  Hikari smiled and then nodded to him.

"We'll help," offered Tai.  "This might help us find our missing teammates."

"I think we should wait until tomorrow before heading out," said Doc.  "Both Tai and Tori need to rest up."

"I'm fine," insisted Tori.  "It was just a headache.  It won't happen again."  He took a step forward and nearly collapsed.  Hikari did her best to catch him, helping him stand back up.

"God, what is wrong with you?" asked Bit.  "We already checked you over twice and there shouldn't be anything wrong."

"I don't know," said Tori.  "But maybe I do need that rest."  He began to walk away with the help of Hikari.  They left the room, heading for the med room.

"What do you think is wrong with him?" asked Jamie.

"Stress," insisted Doc.  "That's the only answer I can come up with."  They all just accepted that and soon left to do their own things.  Kyouri took Tai back to the medical section to finish fixing his wounds.  Brad went to the kitchen while Jamie went to the strategy room.  Doc went to his own room to play with his zoid models.  Bit and Leena both ended up in the hanger.

"What should we do about the Dark Spiner?" asked Bit.

"We could fix it for him," suggested Leena.

"Do you think he'll mind?  Some warriors can be really picky about their zoids."

"I don't think he'll mind.  He may even thank us."

"Okay…"

"Hey Bit?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think that Hikari and Tori might be more than just 'friends'?"

"What do you mean?"  Leena sighed.  Bit really was clueless.

"What I mean is," she began, "do you think Hikari likes Tori as more than just a friend?"  Bit simply blinked, giving her a blank stare.  He honestly had never even thought of that, or paid attention to it for that matter.  Leena gave an exasperated sigh.

"Forget it," she said.  "Just forget it.  Let's get to work."  Bit nodded and went to get the tools.  They had their work cut out for them.  Tai's zoid was a mess.  Together, they began the task of fixing up the Dark Spiner.

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Well, hi again.  I have a question for the reviewers, but don't get mad if you make a suggestion and I don't use it.  I need a reason for Tori's dizzy spells.  I was thinking internal bleeding, but since I'm not good with medical things and the effects of injuries, I'd like a little help.  Email me about it, k?  Or review it.  Usually, I don't ask for help, but my mind can't come up with anything else other than blood loss or internal injury.

Anyway, here's the glossary^.^

Kuso –it's a word to express anger, similar to our swear words.  (I'd rather not write them)

Kisama –there is no direct translation to this word.  It's an insult so bad that it can't compare to our words.

That's about it.  I'll try to write more soon, but I'd like suggestions.  Again, please DO NOT get mad if I don't use the one you give me.  I'm not trying to be mean at all, I simply need a little help.

Until next time, bye!


	10. Sometimes It's Hard

I'm sorry I haven't been around for a while, but there is a reason.  I've been working on my original fiction lately.  I'm really sorry, but…I'm here now, and I have a way to tie in everything.  It took me a while, but I think I figured out what to do now.  The plot line is more or less sufficient now, so I can write the rest of the story.

Note:  From now on, I will translate all the Japanese words at the bottom of the chapter in a small index instead of putting it in the text itself.  Okay?  If you'd rather I didn't, then please tell me and I put them back in the carrots after they're written.

Disclaimer:  I don't own Zoids, but I do own the other characters in this story.

Chapter 10:  Sometimes It's Hard

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"All done," announced Leena happily.  Together, she and Bit had successfully restored the Dark Spiner to its original, functioning state.

"I hope Tai appreciates this," said Bit as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"He better," said Leena with a threatening air about her.

"What are you guys doing?" asked Tai as he walked in with Kyouri.  Bit and Leena turned to him, smiles on their faces.

"We fixed your zoid for you," announced Bit.  It had been a day since the two Hero team members had arrived.

"Wow…" said Kyouri.  "You did this…overnight?"

"Yeah," responded Leena, turning to Tai.  "So you better be thankful."

"Don't worry, I am," he said with a smile, admiring the handy work done on his zoid.

"Are we ready?" asked Tori from behind them.  They all turned to see him standing with the rest of the Blitz team, including Hikari.

"Yeah," said Bit.  "Let's get going.  The sooner we get this done, the sooner we'll understand what's going on."  The others nodded in agreement and began to head to their zoids.

"Tori?" questioned Jamie, catching the commissioner's attention.  "Are you sure you should be piloting a zoid?"

"Don't worry," he said with a smile.  "I'll be fine.  Besides, Hikari will be there."  Hikari just smiled and followed him over to his Lightning Saix.

"Try to make it back before dinner!" called Doc as the hanger door opened.

"We will!" shouted Leena as she got her Gun Sniper over to the door.  As soon as it was open, the zoids all left, heading through the desert towards the ruined headquarters of the ZBC.

******

"Look at all these guards," said Bit.  The city was crawling with ZBC officials.

"Can't you get us in?" asked Tai, looking to Tori.

"I would if I could," he told them.  "However, I'm dead, remember?  I know of another way to the building, but we'll have to be careful."

"It's a good thing we left our zoids at your base," said Bit.

"Let's just hope we don't get attacked," said Brad.

"Are you guys really sure you want to come with?" asked Tori.  "I mean, if Korran sees me, there's no telling what may happen.  You may get dragged into a battle, or worse…all of you might…"

"We won't get caught," insisted Leena.  Tori just nodded in response, not wanting to argue the subject.

"Alright then, follow me," he said as he snuck away from the pile of debris.  They all followed him, having to duck behind buildings and ruble piles to avoid the eyes of the guards.  After a few moments, they managed to reach the broken headquarters.  Just seeing it brought both lament and anger to Tori.  He fought back the approaching headache, knowing that it wouldn't help their cause any.  Instead, he began to brush away the debris.

"The opening should be…right about…here," he said.  He opened a small hidden panel in the metal and pushed in a button.  A door slid open, revealing a staircase leading down into an underground chamber.

"What is this?" asked Jamie.

"This is the underground lab," explained Tori.  He turned to Hikari.  "Lead them down.  I'll follow.  I have to close this off after we're all through."  She nodded in response and began to lead them down into the chamber.  Tori went last, closing the door behind him, making sure to seal both the entrance and the panel.

They walked silently down the dark stairway until they reached a lit room.  They stood in awe at what they saw there.  Machines upon machines were in the room, each having hundreds of wires connected to many different monitors and computer systems.  Strange mechanisms were scattered around the room, some new and some worn with time.  Despite the disaster that had taken the headquarters, the lab looked perfectly fine.

"This way," said Tori as he began to lead them towards the back of the room.  There was a huge machine there, consisting of a huge platform and a monitor that spanned across the entire wall.

"What is this?" asked Kyouri, taking interest in the large machine.

"This is the device we used to seal Hikari's memories," explained Tori.  Hikari looked to the huge machine and then to Tori, who turned and met her eyes.  She was afraid.

"Are you alright, Hikari?" he asked her.

"H-hai," she responded with a nod of her head.

"Are you ready then?"  She nodded once again and walked up to the platform, going towards the center.  Tori turned to Jamie.

"Come with me," he said as he walked towards the monitor.  "The rest of you, stay back."  He pressed a button and the monitor turned on, a soft buzzing sound echoing through the room.  "Okay Jamie.  When I tell you to, hit that button."  He pointed to a large black button, similar to the one he was standing next to.  Jamie complied, now standing near the black button, his hand over it.

"What now?" he asked Tori.

"You hit that button when I hit this one," he told him.  "Then, I'm going to need you to operate those two computers while I handle these."  Jamie looked to the two computers, a ton of different buttons on the consoles of each.  He seemed a little nervous.

"Um…" he began, about to protest.

"Don't worry," said Tori.  "You're a computer genius.  You can figure it out."  Jamie just nodded, still unsure about his task.

"Okay, are you ready Hikari?"  She hesitated before nodding.  Tori turned back to the button under his hand.  'Let's hope this works,' he thought to himself.

"Ready?" he asked Jamie, who only nodded in reply.  "One…two…three!"  They hit the buttons at the same time and the monitor flashed brightly.  A single point of light shot out from a small laser near the top of the monitor.  The laser of light ended right at the center of Hikari's forehead.  Her eyes widened in shock as she felt her mind being opened.

Jamie and Tori began operating the machines near the monitor.  They were simple mechanisms, but highly important.

"What's happening?" asked Bit, curious as to what was actually going on.

"It's a sealing device," explained Tori.  "It was used to seal her memories, but it can also reopen them.  It's an amazing machine, designed to suppress bad memories or open up lost ones.  Hopefully this will work.  To be honest, we've never tested it before.  We've only sealed memories, never opened them."

Hikari could see random images flashing before her eyes.  She saw the face of Jason Ragnarok and a young Tori.  She could remember all the beautiful places in the lab, like the small garden they had.  However, not all of her memories were pleasant.  She remembered being created, being tested on and used.  She could remember Kageru and the Kaijin.  She saw a few other things that she didn't understand, mainly about Tori.  There were scientists there, the man, Korran Genshu, and a fourteen year old Tori.  They dragged him away, pulling him into a room.  He was calling out for his father, who wasn't present at the time.  Hikari closed her eyes, trying to block the images, but they kept playing in her mind.  She had been present at that time, having tests done on her.  She could see Tori struggling as they placed him in a chair, binding his hands and legs.  She couldn't see what happened after that.  The scene went blank in her mind, but she heard him scream in pain, a cry that pierced her very soul.

"Iya!" she shouted, slamming her hands down over her ears, falling to her knees.

"Hikari!" shouted Tori as he quickly shut off the machine.  They all ran to her, worried as to why she had screamed out.  She still sat with her hands over her ears, her eyes tightly shut.

"Hikari, are you alright?" asked Leena.

"No more," she whispered softly.  They would have been relieved to hear their language flow so smoothly from her tongue if she wasn't in so much pain.  "No more, I can't take it.  Make it stop, onegai!"  Apparently the language problem hadn't completely been resolved.  Tori placed his hands gently on her shoulders to keep from startling her, but he failed.  She tensed, her eyes snapping open.

"Tori," she whispered, fear evident in her soft voice.

"What happened, Hikari?  What did you see?" he asked.

"I…I saw so much…yet so little," she explained.  "Most of it…was horrible.  I was put through so much pain by those men."  Tai looked to Tori.

"The ZBC isn't quite as noble as they make themselves out to be, huh?" he asked, his voice having an accusing tone to it.

"Damn them," whispered Tori.  "I'll make Korran pay for what he did."  The mention of Korran reminded Hikari of her last memory, the one of Tori.  What had they done to him?  She couldn't remember.  He had been in pain.

"Come on," said Bit.  "We should probably get out of here."  Tori nodded and stood up, followed by Hikari.

"What now?" asked Kyouri.

"It's simple," answered Tori.  "We search for your missing teammates.  If we find Kaijin, we'll find Ayame and Toru.  Then I'll take care of my problem with the ZBC."  They all nodded in agreement and began to head towards the stairs.

******

The door to the underground lab opened slowly as Tori peeked out through the opening.

"Okay, the coast is clear," he whispered.  They opened the door and stepped out into the cool dusk air.  The sun was just setting behind the horizon, painting the sky in beautiful reds and purples.  Tori quickly sealed the door, covering it in debris to keep anyone else from finding it.

"Alright," said Bit, stretching his arms over his head.  "Let's head back.  It's getting late."  They began to walk to where Tori had parked the car.  The eight of them had managed to cram into the car before, and they were going to do it again.  His car was a decent sized jeep, which managed to seat all of them.  As he approached the car, his eyes clouded over.  It wasn't _his._  It was his father's.  It was the car he had taken without any intensions of giving it back.  Now his dad couldn't even nag him about it.

"Is something wrong?" asked Jamie from the opposite side of the car.  Tori raised his head to meet the eyes of his friends, who were all staring at him in concern.  He put on a believable smile and shook his head.

"It's nothing," he assured them as he opened the door and got in on the driver's side.

"Maybe we should just stay at your base for now," suggested Brad.  "It'll be late by the time we get there."

"I agree," said Tai.  "Traveling at night isn't safe."  Tori nodded signaling that it was alright with him.  They all got in, Hikari and Leena sitting up front with Tori.  Brad, Tai, and Kyouri sat in the back seat.  Bit and Jamie sat in the far back where there weren't any seats.  Bit was reclining while Jamie sat straight.

Tori started the car and took off, keeping his eyes on the horizon.  He was watching the sun set.  After a while, it fully disappeared, leaving behind the stars and the double moons of Zi.  The desert was cool now, the scorching sands now white like snow.  It was beautiful to drive in the desert by moonlight.

In only an hour and a half, they reached Tori's base.  However, the ride home would take a while.  They all got out of the car and were about to walk in when a dark shadow caught Tai's eye.

"What's that?" he asked, confused.

"What's what?" questioned Bit.  He looked around, trying to see what Tai had seen.  However, whatever it had been wasn't there anymore.  Kyouri came towards them, looking around.  She turned her attention to the sky, her eyes going wide.

"Above!" she shouted, drawing everyone's attention.  Their eyes widened as they laid eyes on the dark body of the Kaijin.  The dragon zoid landed, stirring up some of the sand.  The cockpit opened, revealing the dark figure of Kageru.  His silver and blue hair danced against the wind, a toothy smirk on his face.  His eyes were concealed by a pair of dark sunglasses, matching his black wardrobe, his trench coat blowing in the wind.  His eyes scanned over all of them.  They stopped at Hikari.  His smirk widened.

"I've finally found you…experiment Akari."

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Well, that's it for now.  The next chapter will come soon, like probably in the next two weeks.  If it doesn't…forgive me!

Index:

Hai -yes

Iya -no

Onegai –please

Wow…not much for now, but there will be more next chapter.  Trust me.

Bye until then^.^


	11. But It Doesn't Matter

Hello again.  First off, this chapter is a little short, k?  Also, it may explain a few things…or just confused you more.  Or perhaps it'll do neither.  It all depends^.^

I hope you don't mind all the Japanese I put into my fic.  I'm very good at the language, and I know enough of it to get by.  It's not all that hard to learn.  Spelling the words is difficult occasionally, since there isn't an actual spelling to any of them.  And some words, such as the words "run" and "no" have multiple words in Japanese.

All the words are in the index, so look there to see what they mean.

Disclaimer:  I do not own Zoids, so don't sue me.

Chapter 11:  But it doesn't matter

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Everyone stood in shock and fear as they stared at the fearful black dragon zoid and its genetically superior pilot.  Kageru wore a proud smirk on his face, his attention focused on Hikari.  She was trembling under his gaze.

"Omae wa…Kageru," she said unevenly, her eyes wide with fear.  "Doushite?  Why are you here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he questioned smugly.

"Kageru!" shouted Tai, drawing the man's attention.  "Where are Ayame and Toru?"  Kageru crossed his arms arrogantly.

"Don't worry," he told Tai.  "Your friends are safe…for now."  Tai clenched his fists.

"Damn you," he cursed quietly, glaring in hate at the man and his dragon.  Kageru looked over all of them, his eyes landing on Tori.  His smirked dropped a bit as he glared at the son of the late commissioner.

"Hello Tori," he said rather plainly.  "I see you're still alive.  Too bad I can't say the same about your father."  Tori clenched his fists tightly, his anger escalating.

"Kageru!" shouted Bit, drawing his attention.

"Bit Cloud, was it?" he asked, his smirk returning slightly.

"What do you want?"  Kageru quirked an eyebrow at the question.  He put a finger to his chin, as if in deep thought.

"Good question," he began.  "What do I want?"  He looked to Hikari and flashed a toothy smirk.  "I want experiment Akari."

"Too bad," said Leena harshly.  "We're not giving you Hikari."

"I never said anything about you giving her to me," he corrected.  "I will have her no matter what."  He turned back to Hikari, his voice now softening.  "Akari, did you know that they lied to you?"

"Nani?" she questioned softly.

"Your purpose," he began.  "You were created as a weapon, a source of power for the zoid I am standing with.  This zoid is the most powerful creature on this planet.  You were created to help me use it to make a better future.  The perfect future…without the human race, the zoid race…without the planet.  _That's_ the future we were created to create."

"Uso yo…you're lying, you have to be," she stated.  "We were created to protect Zi, not destroy it.  You're wrong, Kageru."  Tori came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.  She turned to him, and he simply nodded.  They came to a silent understanding.

"Zanryuu, Hikari," he whispered to her.  She nodded and watched as he stepped forward.

"Tori?" questioned Jamie as his eyes followed the young commissioner.

"What are you doing?" asked Brad.  All eyes were on Tori as he approached Kageru and the Kaijin.  As he stared into the red eyes of the dragon zoid, he began to feel nostalgic.  A strange familiarity swept over him, and he found his set path harder and harder to walk.  He came to a stop, pulling his eyes away from the dragon zoid.

"What is it Tori?" asked Kageru, his smirk still intact.  "Is there something you want to ask me?"

"Why?" questioned Tori softly.  "Why did you…have to kill them?"  Kageru frowned, putting on a face that showed his distaste and disgust.

"Why?" he questioned mockingly.  "Because of what they did to me.  You should know, Tori.  You were there.  Through all those years, you were there, watching.  You saw how they used us, experimented on us.  We were created by them to be their slaves, to operate the Kaijin under their control.  We were treated as machines, not people."

"That doesn't…" he began loudly, but his voice quickly softened.  "That doesn't justify…what you did.  You killed so many people…so many…people."  He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging into his skin.  "Kuso!  It isn't fair!"  A roar came from the Kaijin, drawing his attention.  He looked into its red eyes, and the feeling of familiarity returned, overwhelming his senses.  Kageru took the opportunity to pull out a gun from a holster at his side.  He smirked as he aimed it towards Tori.

Everyone tried to move, taking a step forward, but Kageru turned his icy glare to them, removing his sun glasses to reveal his cold silver eyes.

"Don't move," he warned them, and they complied.  There was nothing else they could do.  Kageru tilted his head to the side arrogantly.  The Kaijin's eyes lit up, and it swung its tail around.  It came in contact with Tori, knocking him off his feet.  He was sent to the side, but he was quickly hit again, sending him back to his starting point.  He cried out each time.  He hit the ground hard, but slowly began to push himself back up.  His body still hurt from his old injuries, and now it ached from new ones.

"Tell them, Tori," said Kageru, drawing the boy's attention.  "Why don't you tell them the truth?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Bit, switching his focus between Tori and Kageru.  The man just smiled, not answering Bit's question.

"Tell them the truth, Tori.  Tell them why I have the Kaijin."  Tori was now on his hands and knees, his attention aimed towards the ground.

"Tori?" questioned Hikari softly.  "What does…he mean?"

"Tell them, Tori," demanded Kageru.  Tori sighed out of desperation and shame, his eyes taking on a painful look.  Realization hit him at that point, and he knew he had to tell them the truth.

"I…it's my fault," he stated softly.  "I'm the one who gave Kageru the Kaijin."  Shock washed over them all as his soft confession reached their ears.  He glanced back at all of them, his eyes stopping on Hikari.  She looked more surprised and horrified than any of the others.

"Doushite?" she questioned softly.  Tori turned away from her.

"I was mad at my father," he explained.  "I was angry at them all for continuing with project mirai, even after the Kaijin was hidden away.  They still wanted to go through with it.  About a year ago, Kageru approached me.  He said he was only visiting.  We were talking about the project, and he mentioned something about the Kaijin, that it was still around.  Father had said that we destroyed it, but he was wrong.  I told Kageru where the location was, because I…"  He closed his eyes and clenched his fists angrily.  He lifted his head and glared at Kageru.

"What's wrong, Tori?" he asked mockingly.

"I trusted you, you temee!  I thought you were going to go back to the labs, that father wanted to try and salvage the Kaijin!  You only wanted it so that you could kill people!"

"Disgusting," said Leena.  She was met with agreement from them all.

"Tori…" began Kageru.  "Thank you for this zoid.  If it hadn't been for you, I never would have found it again.  The Kaijin is my birthright and no one else's.  It belongs to me."  The members of the Blitz team allowed their eyes to stray from Kageru.  Two people were missing.  Tai and Kyouri were nowhere to be seen.

"Hey Jamie?" questioned Leena in a whisper, drawing the boy's attention.  "Where's Tai?"

"I don't know," he responded.

"Kyouri is gone as well," pointed out Brad.

"What?" questioned Bit.  A loud roar was their only response.  From Tori's base came a Dark Spiner and a Storm Sworder.  "What are you doing?!" shouted Bit, but his voice went unheard.  Kageru just smirked as the Kaijin came to life without him being in it.  Two cannons appeared on the shoulders.  One aimed towards Tai and the other towards Kyouri, who were now charging forward.  Two shots.  Two shots were all it took, and both zoids were down on the ground.  Kageru had predicted their movements before they could get out of the way in time.  However, had it really been Kageru?  He wasn't even in the zoid.  The Kaijin seemed to be in control of itself.

"Stay put," demanded Kageru, returning his attention to Tori.  The boy was still staring at the massive dragon before him, somewhat entranced by it.

"Does the Kaijin seem familiar to you, Tori?  More so than it should?" he questioned.  Tori didn't respond as he got to his feet.  Kageru just smirked as he saw the confused look on the boy's face.  "You know Tori, Hikari's memories weren't the only ones that were locked away."

"What?" he questioned.

"That machine was used on you as well."  Tori's eyes widened slightly.  He couldn't remember a single moment where he had used that machine.  According to him, his memories were all there.  "There's a reason, Tori, that your father was unable to destroy the Kaijin.  How do you destroy something that's alive?  Something with a will to live?"

"Alive?" questioned Bit disbelievingly.  "Just what do you mean?"

"The Kaijin is alive; a living, breathing entity," stated Kageru proudly.

"That's impossible," said Tori.  The Kaijin's eyes began to glow a blood red.

"Is it, Tori?  I suppose no one ever told you…probably because Korran and myself were the only people who knew."

"Knew what?"  Kageru's face twisted into a sick smirk.  He was enjoying every second of this.

"There is blood running through the Kaijin's veins…your blood."  Tori's eyes widened, along with everyone else's.

"What?" he whispered in pure, utter shock.  Hikari turned her attention to the young commissioner.  That's what she had seen.  She could remember it all now.  She had been forced to watch them do it.  She had seen them strap Tori down to the chair, binding his limbs so he couldn't escape.  It was always on a day where his father was gone.  They had jabbed him with needles, wires, stuck tubes into his body, leaving scars near his veins.  They would take what ever they could, draining his life from him, but never going far enough to kill him.  They repeated it so many times, always keeping him conscious.  She had been forced to see it too, to listen to his screams.

Hikari slammed her hands over her ears, trying to rid herself of the images.  She couldn't take it any more.

Tori fell to his knees in complete shock.  He couldn't say anything, do anything.  It's not like there was anything he could do anyway.  Kageru only laughed at the look on their faces.

"Now that you know, do you understand?  Do you ever feel tired for no reason?  Every time you get hurt, do you collapse from headaches or nausea?  When you lose blood, do you feel weaker than you should?  It's all thanks to the Kaijin, and it wouldn't be what it is today if it hadn't been for your blood, Tori."

"Masa…ka," he whispered, his eyes still wide.  As he looked over the Kaijin, he couldn't help but feel a connection.  The zoid had played such a big part in his life, more so than he had thought.

Kageru held out his hand, the one holding the gun.  He was aiming right for Tori, who didn't seem to care right now.  He was in too deep of shock to even notice.

"Tori!" shouted Leena.

"Look out!" added Bit.  Kageru just smirked as Tori's eyes went to the gun pointed at him.  Kageru pulled the trigger, a crack coming from his pistol.  A small gasp came from Tori as the bullet pierced through his stomach, passing all the way through and hitting the ground behind him.  Pain quickly shot through his chest, flooding to his arms and legs, and finally to his head.  He couldn't keep the darkness out of his eyes as they closed.  He slowly fell back, hitting the sand.

"Tori!" shouted Hikari as she began to run to him.  Kageru was about to pull the trigger again when she stepped in front of Tori, a hard look on her face.  The members of the Blitz team followed, kneeling down by the commissioner.  Leena and Bit slowly lifted him up, supporting his upper body.

"He's alive," noted Jamie, watching the way he was breathing.  However, blood was leaking from his chest.  He needed to get to a hospital and fast.

"Move Akari," demanded Kageru.  However, she didn't budge or blink.  She just stood there, holding him in her eyes.

"My name isn't Akari," she stated lowly.  "Watashi wa Hikari!"  The Kaijin's eyes lit up with a red light, and it began moving, startling Kageru.  He dropped his gun to the desert sands while trying to regain his lost balance.

"Kaijin, what are you doing?" he questioned angrily.  He turned to Hikari, a glare on his face.  This was her fault.  He knew it.  He wasn't the only one who could control the Kaijin.

Kageru quickly got in the cockpit of the massive zoid, getting it back under his control.  The Kaijin spread its wings and took to the sky, but they all knew that they'd see him again sooner or later.  Fate would make sure of that.

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Short chapter, I know.  But that's the way it goes sometimes.  Be happy that I updated at least.  I wasn't going to, but then I felt bad.  Therefore, I updated.  However, this chapter isn't nearly as good as some of the others.  I'll do better next time, I promise.  It's just that most of my focus is currently on my original stories at fictionpress right now.

Index:

Omae wa –you are

Doushite –why

Nani -what

Uso yo –it's a lie

Zanryuu –stay back

Kuso –again, this is an extreme expression of anger, similar to our swearing

Temee –an insult word similar to two of ours that start with Bs.

Masaka -Impossible

Watashi wa –I am

Until next time, I'll be seeing ya!


	12. Sometimes It Hurts

Hello! It's been a while, ne? Sorry for that, but I'm here now. I've just been writing a lot of original fiction as of later. After all, I was on a role and I wanted to finish a story in two months, which I did. I wrote a 287 page story in exactly two months. Cool, ne? I'm happy.

Well, here's the next chapter, and I'm sorry for any spelling and grammar mistakes there may be. After all, I don't have the time to reread it right now, but I will soon, so then it'll be perfect. Okay? Okay… And a happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Zoids, so you can't sue me.

Chapter 12: Sometimes It Hurts

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Hikari gave a deep sigh as she walked down the hallways of the hospital. After their little encounter with the Kaijin, they had rushed Tori to a hospital in hopes of saving his life. Things hadn't been looking too good for him, but according to the doctors, he'd live. Sure, he probably wouldn't wake up anytime soon, but that was expected. After all, he had just been shot.

When Hikari turned the corner, she found herself in the waiting room. The members of the Blitz team were sitting there, along with Tai and Kyouri. They were all just waiting around, hoping to hear more about Tori. It wouldn't be fair if he died. He was their future commissioner, the rightful heir to the ZBC. He needed to stay alive, if only for that reason.

"Hikari," began Leena, being the first to notice her there. "How is he?"

"He's alright," she answered softly. "For now, anyway."

"Do you know when he'll wake up?" asked Bit.

"Iya," she answered, shaking her head as well. She still found it hard to not slip up when she was speaking. Hopefully it wouldn't happen too often. She needed to be able to communicate with them.

She walked over and took a seat next to Leena, giving off another sigh. She really was worried about Tori. In reality, he was all she had left. Everyone she had known was dead, killed by the Kaijin. She couldn't let Tori go the same way. She had to keep him alive. She'd do all she could for him. He deserved his life, more so than most.

"What now?" asked Jamie a bit sadly.

"Good question," agreed Brad. "There really isn't much we can do, at least not right now."

"Why do you think Kageru would bother with Tori?" questioned Kyouri curiously. "After all, he's not really a threat to the Kaijin, right?"

"He is," stated Hikari, drawing everyone's attention. "All of us are…to a certain extent."

"Well Hikari," began Bit rather politely considering what he was about to ask. "Now that we understand you, do you mind filling us in?"

"Not at all," she began. "I guess you wanna know what I meant just now. We're all a threat to Kageru now. We know what the Kaijin is. If it's alive, it'll be easy to take down, because once it's destroyed, it'll never work again. Something that's alive can't be brought back to life. We're the only ones who know this, so we can exploit that. Tori and I, however…just like Kageru and I, Tori can control that zoid. It's part of him, after all…"

"So then…" began Leena, "Kageru wasn't lying about that." Hikari just hung her head.

"I'm afraid he wasn't," she said softly. "I wouldn't believe it myself…but I was there. I had to watch it happen. They were so horrible to him…it must have hurt so much." No one said anything to that. What could they say? There weren't any sentiments they could offer right now that would make any difference. Nothing they said could help. It just wasn't fair anymore. How come their lives had suddenly gotten so complicated?

"Gomen nasai," whispered Hikari sadly, earning her quite a few confused looks. "I'm so sorry. It's because of us…if none of you had ever gotten involved with me and Tori, none of this…would have happened."

"It's alright," assured Tai, who had been quiet this whole time. "It's not your fault. We all kind of got ourselves involved, I guess. Besides, something still bothers me. Kageru's acting on his own, right?"

"Hai," responded Hikari, offering a nod along with her response.

"Then where did he get those Hellcats? You know, the ones he used in that battle a few days ago?"

"Ano…" she began hesitantly. She really hadn't given that much thought. No one had, really. "Wakarimasen."

"What?" asked Bit.

"Gomen, ah, sorry," she apologized. "I was just saying that I don't know. I never really thought about it."

"So are you suggesting that Kageru is working with someone?" asked Jamie.

"I'm just saying it seems unlikely that he could just find people willing to cooperate with him. Maybe someone's providing forces for him."

"Only someone insane would do that," remarked Leena.

"That or someone with something to gain," added Brad, earning him everyone's attention. "Think about it. The Kaijin obviously has a lot of power, and who could benefit from that? Maybe whoever's working with Kageru made a deal with him."

"Still, who'd be that stupid?" asked Bit. He honestly couldn't think of anyone who would want to cooperate with that monster. What kind of psycho would want that much power? Then again, humans were all, too a certain extent, power hungry. It was just their nature. It was why they wanted it and how they used it that made them a monster, and in this world, there were just as many corrupt people as there were uncorrupt.

"I'm gonna go see how Tori's doing," said Hikari as she stood up and began leaving the waiting area. "I'll be back in a bit." No one objected to her suggestion. They all knew she was worried. They all were. If what Kageru had said was true, then Tori was going to have a hard time recovering. His body was a lot weaker now, thanks to the evil experimentation. Hadn't there been someone else though? Kageru had mentioned another name, but who was it? No one knew, and to them, it didn't seem to matter, at least not right now. Tori came first for the time being. They had to make sure he lived. He was their future commissioner, after all.

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Kageru sighed to himself as he jumped down from the Kaijin, shooting the zoid a rather disappointed scowl. How could his zoid do that to him? How could it obey Hikari? Wasn't he its rightful owner? And then there was Tori. He was just as big a threat now that he knew what was happening. _Well, hopefully his body was too weak to handle that bullet. Can't have him ruining things now._

"Yami," called out a rather frustrated voice. A man was approaching him, one dressed in a business like suit.

"What do you want?" asked Kageru, sounding just a bit uninterested.

"Did you take care of it? Did you get Akari?"

"Not yet," he answered before shooting the man a glare. "And my name is Kageru. Remember it, Korran, or I won't lend you my services again. I'm the only reason you're leading the ZBC, after all."

"Yes, I know," snarled Korran. "I haven't forgotten the deal."

"Oh, here's something that might interest you." Kageru just turned around and began walking away, hoping that he wouldn't be drawn into a long lecture after this. "Tori Ragnarok is still alive."

"What?!" shouted Korran, running up behind Kageru. He grabbed the younger man by the shoulder and spun him around. "You're kidding, right? How's that possible? He died in the explosion, didn't he?"

"Not unless the boy I saw tonight was a ghost," remarked Kageru, still not caring too much. "He's no threat to you anymore, so what do you care?"

"The ZBC is mine, and I won't have him ruining that for me." Korran released Kageru, an angry scowl on his face. "You better take care of him, or else." Kageru just laughed.

"Or else what? What can you possibly do to me? Don't forget, Korran. I made you what you area, and I can take that away. I'll kill Tori, don't worry, but you better keep your end of the deal." And with that stated, he went back to the Kaijin, climbing into the now open cockpit. This time he was going to make sure he came back with experiment Akari. He was going to find a way to get to her. Somehow, he'd do it. He had to. His plans for the future counted on her presence within the Kaijin. Only then could they create the perfect future, one without the human race, without zoids, without anything. The planet could return to what it had once been. It could be natural and beautiful. He wouldn't let anyone destroy that future.

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It was now approaching dawn, and everyone was still at the hospital. It's not like they had anywhere to go right now anyway. They couldn't go back to their bases, considering the fact that their zoids were still at Tori's. Besides, they weren't about to leave their future commissioner while he was in such an unstable state.

"I'm gonna get some air," said Leena rather suddenly, standing up and walking away from them. Only a few seconds later did Bit get up to follow her. It didn't take him long to catch up.

"Hey, wait!" he called, and she slowed down until he was right next to her. "Something wrong?"

"Just tired," she responded, but her voice said differently. However, Bit didn't seem in the mood to pry into it. He would just let her deal with whatever it was on her own, but that didn't mean he was going to stop talking.

"How long do you think we'll be here?" he asked softly.

"I don't know," she answered, "but I don't think we should leave until Tori's up to it, but…that could take weeks."

"I don't think it'll take him that long to wake up," remarked Bit.

"That's not what I mean." Bit just stayed quiet and waited for her to continue. Leena just took a deep breath, exhaling rather heavily. "You saw him. You saw the way he was staring at the Kaijin. Between the death of his father, the take over of the ZBC, and now Kageru…I wouldn't be surprised if he isn't stable after this. I don't think I'd be."

"Tori's pretty tough though," commented Bit. "He'll be okay, I'm sure of it. Don't worry so much. It's so unlike you." Well, that got a reaction from her. She quickly got in front of him, stopping in his tracks. She was shooting him a rather threatening glare.

"Are you calling me heartless or something?" she asked in a rather icy tone.

"Maybe," he responded, giving her his signature grin. "I'm just saying that you shouldn't be so depressing. It's no fun." He took a step closer, causing Leena's rather vicious scowl to drop. He was standing just a little too close for comfort. "I like you better when you're like this." The way he was looking at her started making her a bit nervous.

"D-don't be stupid, Bit," she told him, turning away. There was a very soft blush on her cheeks, something that really was rather unlike her. "You're such an idiot."

Bit was about to say something, but the sound of hurried footsteps drew his attention. Both of them turned around and saw Jamie running towards them.

"Bit, Leena!" he called. "Come on. Tori's about to wake up." That quickly got their attention, so they began following Jamie down the hallway, heading for Tori's room. Hopefully he'd be okay. The last thing the young commissioner needed was a mental breakdown.

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Tori's eyes slowly opened, but all he could see were bright lights. Everything was a blur, but he already knew he was alone. Someone would have called out to him by now otherwise. _Where am I? That last thing I remember…_ An image of the Kaijin flashed before his eyes and he slammed them closed. That was the last thing he wanted to see. However, even after shutting his eyes, the images wouldn't go away. In fact, they were getting worse. He could see it all now. He remembered how Korran and Kageru had strapped him to a chair, how they had placed tubes and wires into him. He remembered how much it hurt. He couldn't take it. Those thoughts, those images were consuming him. He suddenly felt a burning sensation in his chest, and he felt his mind snap. He was suddenly no longer in a hospital room. What he saw was the laboratory, the chair, those tubes and needles…and the Kaijin.

"No," he whispered as his eyes flew open. He shot up in his bed, which happened to be a huge mistake. His chest burned harder, and he fell back, a pained gasp escaping his lips. He looked to his arms and saw the IVs, but what he saw wasn't the hospital equipment. It was being replaced in his mental picture by the lab machines, the things that had nearly killed him. Tori quickly panicked and reached towards one, attempting to rip it out of his vein.

"Tori!" shouted a panicked voice. His eyes shot over and he saw Hikari. She ran to him and grabbed his hand, the one that was about to pull out the IV. "You can't. You'll die!"

"Let go, Hikari!" he shouted, his eyes wide. "I have to! They'll kill me." He tried to pull out of her grasp, but she refused to let him go.

"You've got it all wrong," she told him gently. "Tori, you're in the hospital. You were shot by Kageru." However, Tori just fought against her harder, nearly straining his healing wound. The bandages on his chest were slowly turning red. "Don't, Tori!"

"Let go!" he demanded. "I have to take these out! I have to!" Hikari couldn't keep fighting him like this. For a hospital patient, he still had a lot of strength left. _Please, get here soon you guys. I can't hold him off like this._ Hikari did the only thing she could think of. She leaned against him, resting her head against his chest. She used her body to pin him down since he was struggling and thrashing a bit in order to loosen her grip. He still wasn't calming down.

"Tori, onegai!" she shouted, pleading with him to quit. "You'll hurt yourself! You're just seeing things! It's not real!" He still didn't stop. "Yamero! Onegai! Shimasen, Tori! I don't want you to die!" Still he didn't stop struggling, and Hikari had had about all she could take. It was time to resort to drastic measures. She reached out and slapped him across the face. He ceased his movements instantly, now completely focused on the pain his face was causing him.

"Tori, omae wa bakayarou!" she shouted angrily at him. She just glared down at him a bit, still rather mad at the young commissioner. He needed to have more self control. However, she couldn't help but pity him. He was losing it. Slowly, but he was being driven insane.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I don't know…what got into me." Hikari just smiled a bit, forgetting her anger for the time being.

"It's okay," she assured him. "I'm just glad you're alright." Tori just lowered his head a bit, trying to remember what he had just done. What had gotten into him? He hadn't been seeing this hospital. He had seen the labs…he had seen those horrible people who had used him, nearly killed him. Now that he knew what had really happened, now that he knew that the Kaijin was part of him…what was he supposed to do? Things were getting so complicated. He was starting to miss his old life. However, he had only himself to blame. All of this was his fault. So many people were suffering because of his own carelessness. After all…it had been he who gave Kageru the Kaijin.

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Wow, another rather depressing chapter. Angst is just so much fun though. It's hard for me to write something without it. It adds to the drama, ne? Anyway, here's your glossary.

Iya -no

Gomen nasai –I'm so sorry

Hai -yes

Ano –um…

Wakarimasen –I don't know

Onegai -Please

Yamero –Stop it

Shimasen –don't do this

Omae wa bakayarou –you're such an idiot

Well, that's it for now. I'll see ya later, k?

Bye!


	13. But We're Strong

Hey! Merry Christmas! Happy holidays! It's my Christmas update, something I do every year! See, I'm updating, and I may update more often for a while at least. I was just re-watching the series, and I had forgotten just how much I loved it. Maybe that's why Zoids is my favorite series, because no matter how often I watch it, I still laugh and love every blissful second. Ah…I'm starting to remember why I even started writing fanfiction (though this nostalgic feeling has me feeling just a bit sick…ever have that feeling? The kind where you miss what used to be? Like remember the good times? I always start feeling sick when I get like that…yeah…I'm strange, I know)

Anyway, onward, and I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 13: But We're Strong

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Leena sighed a bit as she sat in the waiting room with Bit. They had just gone to see Tori and had heard what had happened from Hikari. It was kind of hard to believe, but Tori really was losing it. He was being driven towards insanity, and they had Kageru to thank for that. Tori would have been better off not knowing about the Kaijin.

"I told you," she began, drawing Bit's attention. "I knew something like this would happen."

"He'll get better," Bit insisted, trying his best to remain optimistic in this rather depressing situation. "He's strong."

"You say that like you know it," she snapped, turning her fiery gaze to him. He was being just a little insensitive right now. Then again, Leena herself wasn't much for sentiments. However, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Tori. He had been through a lot. "He's your friend, right?"

"Yeah, so?" asked Bit, reclining a bit in the chair he was sitting in. Leena just growled out of frustration.

"How can you just not care?" She stood up abruptly, glaring down at him. "He could've killed himself, Bit!" Bit opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut it. What could he say to that? He knew that this was no easy matter. Tori _had_ nearly killed himself. He hadn't been seeing the hospital. He had seen the labs, the tubes that had connected him to the Kaijin. It was only a bit natural. After all, he had been through more than they could imagine. Maybe he was being a bit insensitive.

"Okay, so maybe it does look like I don't care," he told Leena, shooting her a small glare right back. "But I'm just trying to stay positive. What's wrong with that? Everyone's too depressed!"

"Gee, maybe because this isn't a very cheery matter," she shot back. The two of them just glared at each other for a moment, not having anything else to really say. If Jamie hadn't come at that moment, they probably would have just kept at it.

"Hey guys," he began, a question on his mind. He quickly drew their attention, and he hoped he hadn't interrupted anything. They both looked a bit intense. "Have you seen Tai and Kyouri?"

"No, why?" asked Bit.

"Because I can't find them."

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"Well?" asked Leena as she met up with Bit and Jamie at the receptionist's desk.

"Nothing," answered Jamie. "I didn't see them anywhere."

"Well, it's not like they could go that far," stated Bit.

"Excuse me," began the receptionist, drawing their attention. "Who are you looking for?"

"His name's Tai," began Bit. "You seen him? He probably came through here with a girl."

"You mean Tai Kenjitsu and Kyouri Raiden?" she asked them. Now they all rushed into her face.

"Where are they?" asked Leena. "Did you see them come through here?"

"T-they left a letter here for the Blitz team," she answered a bit nervously, holding up the letter she had been given. Indeed, it was addressed to them. Without a word, Bit swiped it from the receptionist. Jamie made a quick apology to the slightly startled woman and then turned his attention to Bit.

"Those idiots!" he suddenly exclaimed, handing the letter to Jamie and Leena. _Dear Blitz team. Sorry, but we gotta get out of here. Thanks for helping us out the other day, and we appreciate everything you've done for us, but it's time we hit the road again. As soon as we find our team, we'll challenge you to another battle. Until then, take care! From Tai and Kyouri._

"So they left," summed up Jamie.

"Are they gonna go after Kageru?" asked Leena.

"But they can't!" Jamie stated. "He's too much for them."

"Come on!" stated Bit as he began heading for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Where do you think? I'm gonna find them."

"Are you insane?" exclaimed Leena. "We can't just leave Tori, not to mention Dad has no clue where we are!"

"But…"

"Just let them go for now. As soon as Tori's up to it, we'll head out after them." Bit was about to say something else but decided against it. It was obvious he wasn't going to win this battle. Besides, even if he did go out looking for the two Hero team members, he wouldn't even know where to begin.

"Fine," he said, giving in. "Let's go check on Tori."

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Hikari heaved a deep sigh as she walked down the hallway. She had just gotten back from visiting Tori again, and he wasn't doing very well. It was hard to believe he had woken up so quickly considering the fact that he had lost so much blood. According to Kageru, he wasn't supposed to be able to recover so easily. Blood loss was supposed to be really hard on him. Maybe he'd been wrong.

Hikari suddenly froze in place, a chill running down her spine. She had felt this way before. There was only one thing that could make her shiver like this. _Masaka__…he's here._ She quickly turned around and began heading towards the door to the hospital. She easily shoved through it and walked outside. It was dark out, the city lights being all that lit the area. _They're here…I know it. But where…?_ In the distance, what looked like a huge building suddenly burst into flames. Hikari's attention quickly went to it. However, the rising flames and smoke weren't what caught her attention. It was the dark shadow above. _Kaijin_

The huge zoid began flying over the city. Upon closer inspection, Hikari could see that it really was the Kaijin. There was no mistaking it. There wasn't a single zoid on the planet that looked that terrifying. _I've gotta tell the others!_ Hikari quickly ran back into the hospital, determined to find someone.

"Bit! Leena!" she shouted as she ran down the hall, not caring if the other people walking down the hallways found her behavior strange or not. A lot of patients were probably sleeping, now being awoken as she called out for her friends. However, this was so much more important than sleep. If something wasn't done, the Kaijin could level the entire city. They were really in trouble this time.

"Jamie! Brad!" she called out, trying to get someone's attention. She needed to find them. As luck would have it, they were all walking down the hallway, talking quietly amongst themselves. "You guys!" They all turned to watch as she ran up to them, breathing rather harshly.

"What is it?" asked Bit, a little confused. After all, it was probably about three o'clock in the morning, and here she was, screaming at the top of her lungs. They were all a bit tired. They didn't need this right now.

"I saw it," she began, trying to catch her breath.

"Saw what?" asked Brad.

"Kaijin." Well, that quickly got their full attention.

"What?" asked Bit rather quickly. "Are you sure?" She just nodded. They were all about to head towards the door when the whole building suddenly shook. People in the hallways began screaming as nurses and doctors began scurrying down the hallways to see if the patients were all okay.

"What was that?" asked Jamie, his voice a little shaky.

"It's gotta be Kageru," stated Bit. "Come on!" They all began running down the hallways, heading towards the door. They all burst through it, and what they saw had them frozen from either disbelief or fear. It was hard to tell by the shock on their faces. Quite a few buildings were on fire now, and in the middle of the street, a small distance away, stood the Kaijin in all its wicked glory. It's red eyes were shining brightly, and a low growl escaped its throat. Slowly, it began advancing.

"We've gotta get to our zoids!" stated Bit.

"Yeah, let's go!" agreed Leena.

"Demo…" began Hikari, catching their attention. "You didn't bring them."

"What?!" shouted Bit. That fact had obviously slipped his mind.

"You drove Tori here and left your zoids at his base."

"Oh yeah…" said Leena, finally remembering the event. "I guess we did…hey, where are Jamie and Brad?"

"Over there," stated Hikari. They all watched as Brad and Jamie got into their zoids, bringing them to life. The two of them had piloted their zoids into the city, and so had Tai and Kyouri. Bit, Leena, and Hikari had taken Tori's jeep when they had rushed him to the hospital.

"Don't worry," stated Brad. "We'll take care of him for now."

"Do what you can to warn the people in the hospital," added Jamie as he and Brad took off towards the Kaijin. All the while, Hikari kept her eyes on the dark dragon. Something was bothering her. Through all of this, she had yet to see Kageru. He would have contacted them by now if he was there, right? If he wasn't accompanying the Kaijin, then where could he be? Also, if he wasn't with the Kaijin, then was it possible for her to take control of it? After all, she had managed to make it react just yesterday when they were all attacked. Too bad she wasn't sure how she had done it.

"He's not here," she stated suddenly. Bit and Leena just gave her confused glances.

"Who's not?" asked Bit.

"Kageru," she answered. "The Kaijin's alone. I don't see him anywhere."

"But that's impossible, right?" asked Leena. "It can't act on its own, can it?"

"It's alive," she stated softly. "It probably can. However, I'm sure he's close by. He must be in one of these buildings."

"But why wouldn't he be with the Kaijin?" asked Bit. "Why miss his own battle? It's not like he has anything more important to do, right?" Hikari thought this over for all of two seconds before realizing just where Kageru was and what he was probably about to do.

"He wouldn't…" she began, sounding rather shocked.

"What?" began Bit, wanting to ask just what she was talking about, but she turned and ran into the hospital before he could get out another word. He and Leena quickly followed after her, running down the hallways as fast as they could. They just stayed a bit behind her, waiting to see what she was up to. She eventually stopped at a room…Tori's room. She walked in and sighed in relief, realizing that Tori was just fine. He was asleep, but it looked like Kageru hadn't gone after him.

"Thank the Gods," she whispered as she walked over to him, followed by Bit and Leena. However, Bit suddenly stopped when something caught his eye. He spun around and caught a glimpse of Kageru as the man walked past the room. If Bit wasn't mistaken, there had been a smirk on his face.

"Kageru!" he exclaimed as he turned and ran from the room.

"Bit, wait!" called Leena as she began to follow him.

"Don't worry! I'll be careful!" he called as he turned the corner, disappearing down the hallway. Leena just crossed her arms, an irritated sigh escaping her. _Who said I was worried?_ She just turned around and walked back into the room for a moment.

"Hikari?" she began, watching as the girl sat down near Tori. "Just stay here. I'm gonna see how Jamie and Brad are doing." Before Hikari could comment, Leena began sprinting down the hallway. She eventually reached the doorway and looked out to see the battle that was taking place. Jamie and Brad were actually holding their own against the Kaijin. _Man, I thought this thing was supposed to be really tough. If just two people can take it down, then there's nothing to brag about. Maybe it's like this because Kageru isn't here…_

"Hello," greeted a voice behind her. Even though the voice was only slightly familiar, it still managed to freeze her in place. This man's voice was so icy yet smooth that he could probably hypnotize someone. Reluctantly, she turned around, and her eyes met a pair of cold silver ones.

"K-kageru…" she began, feeling a rather unlike fear. After all, she was Leena. No one was supposed to be able to scare her like this. However, Kageru wasn't a laughing matter. She began backing up, but a fist quickly connected to her stomach. She couldn't help it. She screamed. There was a moment of pain before everything went dark.

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"Man!" shouted Bit in frustration as he began walking down the hallway. He had failed miserably in his search for Kageru. It was like the man had just disappeared. _What now? Guess I should go check on Leena and Hikari._ As he was about to turn around and head back, a scream caught his attention. A few people in the hallway who had been walking suddenly stopped, startled for a moment, before going back to tending to the patients. After all, the city was still under siege.

Bit was frozen in place, his eyes wide. _That voice…that was Leena!_ He began sprinting down the hallway, following the direction he thought her scream had come from. He was now approaching the doorway to the hospital, and what he saw there had him both quaking in fear and boiling with rage. Kageru stood there, an unconscious Leena held under one of his arms.

"Kageru!" Bit shouted, being overwhelmed by the rage bubbling within him. "What did you do to her!?"

"Nothing really," he began. "I just figured it'd be easy to deal with her if she were unconscious."

"Let her go!" There was a lot of fire in Bit Cloud's voice, something that was usually only present during matters of the battlefield. However, he wasn't about to let this man have his way. No one was going to take Leena. However, the smirk on Kageru's face stated that he was. In a matter of seconds, the Kaijin appeared at the doorway, and Kageru slowly backed out, his eyes holding Bit's the entire time.

"Bit Cloud," he began. "I've heard a lot about you. An exceptional warrior…I'll tell you what. If you bring me experiment Akari, I'll give Ms. Toros back, but…I also want a battle. I wanna see just how good you really are."

"Wait! Come back!!" shouted Bit, but Kageru was already being lifted away. Before he could say anything else, the Kaijin and its master left, taking Leena with them. Bit clenched his fists so tightly that the skin could break at any second. However, he just fell to his knees in distress.

"Damn it," he cursed, wishing he had something to hit right now. He felt like screaming, so he screamed the one thing that was currently occupying his mind. Somehow, he was going to get her back, and he would do it without sacrificing Hikari. "Leena!!"

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There, are you happy? A little Bit and Leena stuff finally! I guess I wanted to really put some in because I'm currently in the process of rereading Bit and Leena fics, and I'm starting to remember how much fun I had writing them. However, none of my fics will ever be as good as they were, like Premonition and Best Forgotten Past (though when I read them, I see every spelling mistake and poor description I ever wrote, and I fee like fixing it…but it's a bit too late now.)

Anyway, please remember to review! Until the next time! Happy holidays!

Bye!


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